Deceptions
by Questfan
Summary: Ben leaves the seaQuest under a dark cloud and Lucas goes looking for answers. He is shocked to find that Bridger is covering something up.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked I still don't own anything but who cares?**

**I only discovered that fan fiction existed a few months ago (yes I know I'm a bit slow) but since I have had stories going around in my head for years I finally have an outlet – YAY! Better than therapy and so much cheaper. I'm not totally sure where I'm going with this one yet but suggestions are always welcome.**

**My apologies to Joxer beforehand if you are still with me – you get Ben but he's gonna have a few, um … problems. So you may not want to kiss my feet anymore (which is probably a _good _thing). Consider yourself warned! **

**Chapter One**

Lucas felt like throwing something at Ben. Preferably something large and heavy that would really hurt. There didn't seem to be any other way of getting through to him. This whole situation seemed so unreal that Lucas had almost pinched himself to check he wasn't dreaming. He was jolted back to reality by the fury in Ben's voice.

"Just drop it will you?" Ben growled at Lucas through the bars. He paced up and down the small holding cell and looked fit to explode.

Lucas watched him pace and opened his mouth to argue again but one look at Ben's face made him close it again quickly. He glanced at the guard on duty but he steadfastly ignored both Lucas and Ben. Lucas vaguely recognised him and guessed it would be pretty hard to have to lock up one of your own crewmates. It wasn't like Ben was some enemy soldier or anything.

Finding it impossible to stand still, Lucas walked up to the bars and grabbed hold of them with both hands.

"Ben, I …"

"Lucas, do me a favour will ya?"

"Yeah?"

"Leave me alone!"

The teenager threw his hands up in exasperation and turned to walk out the door. He stopped and turned back to try one last time to get some sense out of his friend who was still pacing up and down.

"Ben?" he shook his head. "I don't know why you blew a fuse but I'm _trying_ to help you." Ben stopped his pacing in front of Lucas and glared at him.

"Listen kid, I don't _need _your help and I don't _want _your help so get the hell out of here and _leave…me…alone." _Ben turned his back and walked to the far end of the cell. Lucas felt like screaming at him but instead he turned and walked out of the brig, wondering just how things had come to this. It had never bothered him before when Ben called him "kid". In fact it had always seemed affectionate but just now it sounded insulting.

He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and turned down the corridor towards his quarters. His shoulders were slumped in defeat and he dragged his feet as he walked. Something more was going on here that he just couldn't grasp at the moment. He hadn't gone far when he looked up to see Captain Bridger coming towards him.

The captain's face looked like thunder and he realised this wasn't going to be something Ben could talk himself out of. As the captain stopped in front of him, Lucas tried to stay calm but his eyes kept dropping to the floor. It wasn't often he saw Bridger really angry but right now he was livid. He seemed surprised to see Lucas coming down the corridor but there was only one place he could have been coming from.

"Lucas. Stay out of the brig and away from Lieutenant Krieg. Is that understood?"

"But…"

"Is _that_ understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

Lucas began to edge around the captain as he resumed his march to the brig.

"It's not like he wants me there anyway!" he muttered under his breath.

Lucas tried to walk on casually but as soon as he had made it around the next corner and was out of Bridger's sight, he bolted for his quarters. He raced through the door and locked it behind him before throwing himself on the bunk. He looked up to see that Darwin was already there as though he had been waiting for Lucas to come back. Lucas rolled over to grab the vocorder and then dropped it back on the bed where it had been lying.

He had no idea what he could possibly say to Darwin right now. How was he supposed to explain that his best friend had completely lost his mind and taken a swing at a superior officer? Commander Ford, no less! The commander was sporting a nasty black eye but Ben had quickly found himself being hauled off to the brig. If Lucas hadn't seen it with his own eyes he never would have believed it.

Earlier that evening he had been in the mess with Tim. They had long since finished dinner and had stayed to talk when Ben had stormed in and approached the commander. Ford was sitting at another table reading a pile of reports and he looked annoyed at being interrupted.

Lucas knew straight away that something was definitely off by the furious look on Ben's face. He couldn't make out the words but the anger in his voice and gestures was clear, even from across the room. Lucas and Tim exchanged worried glances but before they could do anything to intervene, Ford had angrily pushed back his chair and stood to confront Krieg.

"You bastard! You always wanted me out, so congratulations, you win! But I'm not going without giving you something to remember me by!"

Lucas stared in horror as Ben pulled back and let swing at the commander. He was out of his chair before he knew it but it was too late. Ben's fist connected with a sickening thud and Ford reeled back. His hand involuntarily clenched as though he was going to return fire but he pulled himself up in time. Gingerly he ran his fingers over his cheek and felt the blood beginning to trickle down.

He straightened up and stepped closer to the lieutenant before calmly stating, "That was the last thing you will _ever_ do as a UEO sailor. Consider your career to be over _Lieutenant_!"

A security detail had appeared as if out of nowhere but obviously someone had already realised trouble was coming and had called it in. Quickly sizing up the situation, one of them moved behind Ben and grabbed his arm.

"Take him to the brig!" Ford spat out. "If he tries anything, shoot him!"

Krieg glared at his commanding officer.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

Ford ignored the question and the security officers moved to escort Ben out the door. He angrily shrugged off the hand on his shoulder but didn't put up any further resistance. Without looking at anyone else in the room Ford quickly gathered up his reports and headed out himself.

Lucas sat back down heavily on his chair and stared at Tim. O'Neill looked just as stunned by what they had just witnessed. Suddenly the room was abuzz as everyone started talking at once.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Lucas asked hesitantly.

"No idea, but it's the end of Ben's career so I hope it was worth it."

Lucas stared at Tim; the implication sinking in as he realised just how much trouble Ben was really in. Suddenly Ben's behaviour over the last few days began to make sense.

"Something has been brewing for days but Ben wouldn't tell me what. He's been really edgy. I wish now I'd pushed a bit more to find out why," Lucas said, his voice full of regret.

Tim nodded. "Yeah, something's been bugging him but he just brushed it off when I asked him yesterday."

Lucas decided he urgently needed to get to see Ben but he didn't know if he was going to be allowed to. Making some excuse, he left Tim sitting at the table and started off towards the brig.

After the frustrating conversation with Ben, Lucas decided he needed answers. What was going to happen from here? He sat up and reached over to pull out his laptop and began a search on military discipline. As he scrolled through the pages of UEO information coming up he tried to narrow the search a little.

Finally he found what he was looking for – a list of military offences and potential disciplinary action. He whistled under his breath as he read down the list. Scrolling down a bit more he stopped and stared at the screen. He had hoped the Commander was just angry when he said Ben's career was over but as he read further, Lucas realised it wasn't an empty threat. There it was in black and white.

**Assaulting a superior commissioned officer**

"_Any person who strikes his superior commissioned officer or draws or lifts up any weapon or offers any violence against him while he is in the execution of his office shall be punished. If the offense is committed in time of war, by death or such other punishment as a court martial may direct and if the offense is committed at any other time, by such punishment, other than death, as a court martial may direct." _

Lucas stared at the screen wondering how long it would take to convene a court martial. The idea of Ben staying in the brig didn't sit comfortably with him but as he read back over the information another thought dawned on him.

"Thank God we aren't at war or Ben could be facing the death penalty."

He needed to speak to the captain. Maybe if he could somehow remind Bridger of all the positive aspects of having Ben around, he might be inclined to go in to bat for him. He was a reasonable man after all, who made most decisions with a cool head. Wasn't he?

"_So why do I feel like I'm stepping into the lion's cage?" _Lucas wondered to himself.

He had never been hesitant to speak to the captain before but he had never seen such a furious look on his face before either. He checked his watch and realised that it was too late now to be going to see him tonight. He almost felt relieved that he could delay this uncomfortable conversation but then immediately felt ashamed that he was relieved.

"_Ben would be breaking down the captain's door for me, no matter what time it is."_

He sighed as he thought about how many times Ben had covered for him or how he always had time to spare for his young friend. Lucas decided that if he couldn't speak to the captain then maybe he could go and see if Ben was all right. It was highly unlikely he'd be asleep.

As he thought about heading back down there to see Ben he remembered Bridger's angry warning and wondered if he should go after all. The fact that Ben didn't seem to want to see him anyway helped make up his mind. He frowned as he remembered the dark look on Ben's face. Where did that anger come from? What did Ford do to make him lose his cool and do something so utterly stupid?

He turned the laptop off and lay back on the bunk. How did a day that started off so normal get so screwed up?


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, thanks for the reviews. You guys are great! Since I don't know for sure where I'm going with this yet I can't make any promises about what will happen to anyone. ****But I promise to patch up anyone I dent, OK?**

**And yes the legal stuff was genuine Teresa. I edited it a bit but I had to make sure I wasn't over reacting. It seems decking a superior officer is considered a pretty serious offence in any country. **

**Chapter Two**

After Lucas stormed out of the brig, Ben slowly walked back to the front of the cell and sighed as he grabbed hold of the bars. He stared after the teenager, wondering just how much damage he had done to their friendship. He knew that Lucas didn't trust easily but once he did give a relationship a chance, he gave it everything.

It had taken a huge effort on his part to get through Lucas' defences in the beginning. It seemed so ridiculous that a child had been sent to a military submarine but he had quickly learned that most things about Lucas didn't follow the normal pattern. Something about him caught Krieg's attention. Something beyond the obvious genius in a child's body. Certainly something beyond the cocky arrogance that Ben eventually realised masked a level of self doubt.

He recognised a kindred spirit when he saw one and there was no doubt that he viewed Lucas as almost a brother. One he could share a practical joke with. Someone he could encourage and teach; although "corrupt" had been the word Bridger had used. He was smiling when he said it but Ben had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't entirely joking. He had assured Bridger he would never do anything to hurt Lucas. And yet, tonight, he had. Deliberately. He closed his eyes as if to block out the mental image of the disappointment in Lucas' eyes but it didn't work.

He looked up to see that the guard was watching him so he quickly turned and headed to the back of the cell where he sat down heavily on the small bunk. He buried his face in his hands and wondered just what he had gotten himself into. He only got a few minutes to wonder before he heard footsteps coming into the brig. He looked up to see the captain staring at him through the bars. _Here it comes!_

Bridger turned to the guard. "You can leave us. I want to speak to the lieutenant alone."

"Aye, Sir."

After making sure the guard had, in fact, left them alone, Bridger turned back to Ben and looked him over.

"How's the hand?"

Ben flexed his bruised hand and smiled a little.

"I'll live. How's Commander Ford's face?"

"He'll live. You were very convincing. The whole ship's talking. This may just work you know."

Ben nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. Just keep Lucas out of my way will ya? He's already been in here tonight trying to help. I don't need him catching on to anything."

Bridger nodded. The last thing he wanted was Lucas getting suspicious.

"I know. I passed him on the way in. I told him to stay out of here so hopefully he'll take notice."

"_But I probably need to reinforce that warning," _he thought.

"Yeah, well, I don't think he's gonna want to come back in a hurry anyway."

"_What did you say to get him out of here?_"

Bridger noted the tone in Ben's voice and he watched as a frown flickered across his features before he composed his face again. He hadn't become a captain by missing the important details. He had seen the look on Lucas' face in the corridor only a few minutes ago and now as he looked at Krieg he could see the damage this assignment was causing already.

"_I just hope it isn't permanent"_

"Don't worry, Lieutenant. When this is done I'll make sure your record is clean." He knew that wasn't the only concern Ben had. "And Lucas _will _forgive you."

* * *

Lucas woke up feeling as though he had barely slept. He realised he was still fully clothed and he stretched out trying to ease the tension out of his neck.

"_I wonder what the beds are like in the brig?"_

Quickly dismissing that thought he decided he really needed to know just how bad things could get for Ben. The information he found last night only told him the possibilities. He wanted to know what was really likely to happen. Did the captain have any influence here or did the members of the court martial just look at the evidence? Would Commander Ford take a hard line and carry through with his threat?

He decided that the best place to get answers for his questions was probably the mess since that's where most of the gossip circulated from. He knew whoever was there would most likely be discussing the same thing. Lucas quickly got changed into fresh clothes and headed to the mess but as he got closer his pace began to slow down a little. He didn't really want to be reminded of what had happened and going back to the scene of the crime made it pretty hard to avoid.

There had always been a certain level of tension between Krieg and Ford but Lucas just couldn't fathom how it had come to flash point. As he walked he remembered how strange Ben had been over the last few days. He had been short with Lucas a couple of times as though he was distracted. When Lucas called him on it he had denied it and insisted there was nothing wrong. He knew his friend better than that but decided that Ben would talk to him in his own good time.

That was one of the distinct disadvantages Lucas had found in living on the _seaQuest. _The crew respected him but sometimes he still felt like an outsider. He wasn't military so some things were closed off from him. He knew that some of the senior science team were sometimes included in military discussions but they were all adults. And that was where he definitely felt the most excluded. He was expected to act older than he was but then he was also excluded by his age. As he frowned at the irony in that he found he had arrived at the mess.

He heard the subdued buzz of conversation as he stepped through the door but he was surprised to see Commander Ford sitting at a table. His right eye was swollen almost shut and he had several small stitches over his eye where Ben's fist had split the skin. Lucas felt like walking back out the door but he had already been spotted. There was no going back now.

Ford watched him with a neutral expression on his face as he hesitated in the doorway.

_Military training!_

Lucas felt the anger rising in him as he tried to walk past. There was nothing he could say that would help but there was a lot he felt like saying anyway. None of it was going to help Ben so somehow he managed to keep his mouth shut and his eyes focussed on the breakfast trays but his mind was racing with questions. Ford watched him stalk past but made no effort to acknowledge him.

Lucas picked up something off the breakfast trays without really noticing what he had selected. He was relieved to see both Tim and Miguel were seated at a table nearby and he sat down with them. He couldn't be bothered wasting time with small talk so he launched straight into the urgent questions running through his mind.

"Just how much trouble is Ben in?"

Miguel looked a little taken aback by the directness of the question but then realised he shouldn't have been surprised. He knew how close Lucas was to Krieg and it was obvious by the dark circles under his eyes the teenager hadn't slept well.

"Well… how much do you know about military justice?"

"Just what I looked up last night."

Tim smiled. Of course. What else would a computer junkie have done?

"I know he's looking at a court martial. What does that involve?" he looked anxiously at the two men in front of him.

"Well he'll be assigned counsel and they'll prepare a defence and then members of a panel will be called to hear the evidence."

"Will he have to stay in the brig until then?"

"Yeah," Miguel nodded. "Attacking a senior officer is a serious offence."

"So how long before he gets a hearing?"

"It will be fairly quick. Military justice doesn't like to wait." Tim looked at Lucas, trying to read what he was thinking.

"What if…..what if he's found guilty? I found out there were varying levels of punishment. What's the most likely thing to happen?" Lucas looked at them both, silently willing them to give him an answer he could deal with.

The two of them exchanged glances before Miguel continued.

"A dishonourable discharge. Maybe some prison time if the panel thinks it's warranted. Whatever happens he won't be staying here on _seaQuest. _There's no way Ford would allow him to stay under his command after this."

Lucas felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He looked over at Ford who was watching him while pretending to be looking elsewhere. There were some days he _really _hated the military and today was definitely one of them.

He pushed the breakfast tray away from him even though he hadn't yet eaten anything from it.

"Thanks guys. I think I need some fresh air." He pushed himself up from the table and left the mess with his thoughts running full speed.

Ford had been watching Lucas since he walked into the mess. The kid looked like he hadn't slept and it was obvious he wasn't going to deal well with any of this. He noted the sour look Lucas cast his way but shrugged it off.

_Keep your eye on the ball._

He sighed as he realised things were going to get very uncomfortable around here. He had been avoided by everyone as he came into the mess this morning. Katie had come through earlier but when she spotted him she had smiled tentatively then grabbed a coffee and hurriedly left.

Nobody said anything directly but they were all wondering just what he had done to push Ben over the edge. He knew how popular Krieg was amongst the crew. Nearly everyone on this sub had had occasion to seek out his "special supply" services at one time or another. If Krieg couldn't get it then it didn't exist. The other half of his job as Supply and Morale Officer meant most of the crew had also been on the receiving end of some trademark Krieg humour too. Not that it was always funny, Ford thought as he recalled being the butt of some of it but you had to give the guy points for effort.

Ford watched Lucas as he left the mess and he couldn't help but sigh. Yeah this was going to get ugly alright and unfortunately it looked like Lucas was going to be caught in the fallout. It was days like this that Ford decided kids definitely didn't belong on military subs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for the encouragement. As always it's great to hear what you think.**

**I know I should have said this earlier but I only decided for sure I was heading in this direction while writing this chapter and planning the next. This is a stand alone story but it follows on from the events from "Desperate Measures". Don't worry if you haven't read it because I will put in enough backstory here to explain things anyway. I just wanted to put it into context.**

**Chapter Three**

Captain Bridger thought about going down to the mess for breakfast but decided he really wasn't that hungry after all. He knew that whoever was there would be talking about just one thing and he really didn't have the energy to deal with it until he had to. He had spent most of the night alternating between staring at the ceiling and pacing the floor. The fact that one of his officers had unjustly spent a night in the brig had made it hard for him to get to sleep. It wasn't so much that Ben was uncomfortable in there as much as Bridger knew where this plan was headed and he kept turning over the possibilities in his mind. There were so many things that could go wrong.

He recalled the look on Lucas' face when he last saw him outside the brig.

"I'm sorry, Kiddo. I wish it didn't have to be like this but it's for your own good. You'll see."

He wasn't sure if he wasn't partially trying to convince himself by that thought. As he walked around the desk he noted the vidlink had a small image in the bottom right hand corner. A message had come through on a secure channel. He didn't miss the irony in the fact that Lucas had designed the security program on the channel. Here he was trying to keep a secret from the teenager and it was made easier because Lucas had given him the tool to do so.

He touched the icon on the screen and typed in a password before a short message opened up. All it contained was map co-ordinates. It didn't have to say anything further. He opened up another screen and typed the co-ordinates into a directory. It only took seconds before an advertisement rolled up on the screen.

"_It figures," _he thought as he turned off the image. At least now he knew where he was sending Krieg.

He was startled by a loud knocking at the door. It was too early for a social call but he really didn't feel like dealing with work just yet. He sighed before calling out for whoever it was to come in.

The door slowly opened and Lucas hung in the doorway. His face showed a mixture of emotion and Bridger wished he could just make it all go away. He smiled at the teenager but the smile never reached his eyes.

"Can I talk to you?"

It was times like this when Lucas looked his age and Bridger was reminded that he was still just a teenager in an adult world. It was easy to forget he was only sixteen but right now he looked lost.

"Sure."

Lucas wandered into the room and looked around as though he was looking for a seat. In truth he didn't really know what he was going to achieve by coming here and now he didn't know what to say. Bridger waited for him to stop moving to give him the room to open up. Finally Lucas stood still and looked up at him.

"What are you going to do to help Ben?"

"He's in some serious trouble, Lucas."

"I know that. What are you going to do to _help_ him?"

The captain took a deep breath before answering.

"I will be called as his commanding officer at the court martial. I can make a recommendation but it may not make any difference."

"So that's it? You're not going to do anything else to help him?" It wasn't a question so much as an accusation.

"I will do what I can, but Lucas, you have to understand that Ben is facing a serious charge. I can't just make it go away because you want me to."

"Maybe it's just easier to make Ben go away." Lucas knew he wasn't helping by getting angry at the captain but he couldn't stop it. Ford had made it clear what he wanted but Lucas had hoped that Bridger would be more inclined to help. Now it didn't seem that way.

"Lucas, I just meant…."

"I _know_ what you meant. So when does the court martial get under way? How long does he have to wait down there?"

"Probably in a few days. I will find out this morning who is being sent out."

"This morning! Ford didn't waste any time lodging a complaint did he? It didn't occur to him that he could take a day or so to calm down and not destroy a man's career!"

"Lucas, Commander Ford had every right to lodge a complaint. He's not at fault here."

Lucas glared at him and then silently turned and stalked out the door.

"Lucas … Lucas!"

Bridger rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. "Well _that_ went well."

* * *

Lucas leaned back against the wall and frowned in frustration. There were no chairs out in the corridor so he sat hunched up against the wall. He had presumed it would be an open hearing and he could sit in there and give Ben his support. He hadn't counted on it being closed. The captain said it was Ben's choice but he wasn't entirely sure. Why wouldn't he want his friends there for moral support? Then again, every time Lucas had gone to the brig to see him the guard had turned him away. Maybe Ben thought his friends didn't care because they thought he deserved what he got. Lucas was furious when he found he was being kept out by the captain's orders. When he confronted Bridger on it he just said it was what Ben wanted.

He checked his watch for the umpteenth time and wondered what was going on in there. Ben's two legal representatives had come aboard three days before along with the prosecutors. Lucas had seen them all around the _seaQuest _as they conducted their investigations. They interviewed the relevant witnesses and prepared the legal arguments. Late yesterday afternoon the members of the panel had arrived.

Lucas turned up early at the ward room which had been set aside for this only to be told he couldn't go in. Several other crewmembers had also come down and been told the same thing. Tim was on duty on the bridge but Miguel stood beside Lucas as the security personnel told them they couldn't enter a closed hearing. Miguel frowned but said nothing. Instead he motioned for Lucas to follow him down the hall a little way.

"Why can't we go in? Ben needs to know we're here to support him," Lucas started but Miguel cut him off.

"I don't know why he asked for a closed hearing but it's up to him. Maybe he's embarrassed. Maybe he doesn't want any of us to see him in there. I don't know but there's nothing we can do about it."

While they were talking, a group came around the corner and Lucas looked around to see Ben being escorted by a security officer. The two UEO lawyers walked behind him. What really shocked him was that Ben was handcuffed. He hadn't been expecting that and now he felt the anger rising again as the small group approached them.

"What do they think he's gonna do? Take another swing at Ford?" he growled under his breath.

Miguel placed a calming hand on his shoulder and he could feel the angry tremors under his hand. Lucas was holding it in, but only just. As the group walked past them Lucas tried to make eye contact with Ben who steadfastly looked at the floor as he walked.

"Ben!" Lucas called but he got no answer. What he didn't see was the look that briefly crossed Krieg's face as he passed his friends. It took all his self control to stop himself turning back to look at them. They entered the room and the heavy door swung shut behind them. Everyone else was already in there who was going to be allowed in so Miguel suggested they leave.

"I'm going back to my quarters," Lucas told him flatly.

Miguel nodded. He knew that Lucas wasn't going to get much work done today anyway. They silently started the walk back, each lost in their own thoughts about what could be happening in that room. When they came to the Maglev Lucas paused and told Miguel he was going down to the moonpool instead. As the door closed he turned around and headed back the way he had come. He may not be allowed into the room to support his friend but until someone physically removed him, he planned to stay as close as he could get.

* * *

His legs were going numb from sitting on the floor for hours. He had no idea how long this was going to take but he was surprised when the door opened and the security detail brought Ben back out. Lucas jumped to his feet and stumbled a little as the blood began to circulate back into his feet. Lucas felt the same anger as he had before when he saw that Ben was handcuffed again. This was just so _wrong! _For a second he had hoped the early finish meant good news but if that was the case Ben wouldn't still be in those damn handcuffs.

It was obvious by the shocked look on Krieg's face he wasn't anticipating Lucas to be hanging around out here. Before he could recover and think of something to say he had been moved off down the corridor. He looked back over his shoulder to see Lucas staring after him.

Lucas could hear voices coming from the Ward Room and picked out the distinctive voice of the captain. He waited to see if they were going to come out so he could get an answer and fortunately he didn't have to wait long. Bridger walked out with Ben's defence team and almost ran into Lucas who was leaning back up against the wall.

"Will you excuse me for a minute, please?"

The two lawyers nodded and glanced in Lucas' direction before moving down the corridor. Bridger turned back to Lucas and tried to think what he was going to say. Their last conversation hadn't gone well and this one wasn't shaping up to be any better. He gestured for Lucas to enter the Ward Room as he said, "Let's talk in here."

Lucas looked suspicious that he was being moved out of a public place. This wasn't looking good. Reluctantly he walked into the room but refused to sit down. He noted that the captain looked drained but right now he didn't have any sympathy for anyone but Ben.

"Lucas … there's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to tell you. Ben was found guilty. He'll be leaving the _seaQuest._" He paused as he noted that Lucas' face had just drained of colour.

"I'm sorry, Kiddo. I know what this means to you."

"And what does it mean to _you?_ Did you try to help him? To stop their decision? He made one mistake and now he loses everything?"

Bridger shifted uncomfortably but tried to keep his tone even.

"He isn't going to prison if that's what you're worried about. But he will be dishonourably discharged. He can't stay here."

The captain had stared down the barrel of quite a few torpedoes over his career but there wasn't anything in the rule book that told him how to deal with this.

"Well can I at least visit the condemned or am I still not allowed in the brig?" he glared at the captain, knowing full well he would defy any order to that effect anyway.

Bridger nodded and watched sadly as Lucas stalked out of the room. He knew Ben wasn't going to allow him in the brig anyway but right now he just didn't have the energy to argue.

* * *

Lucas stood behind the bulkhead, trying to decide if he wanted to step out or not. He had already seen Ben taken to and from the hearing in handcuffs and he didn't think he could handle seeing it again as he was escorted off the _seaQuest._ Finally he decided he had to see him one last time since Ben had refused to speak to him last night. He silently moved out from behind the column and looked over towards the small group at the shuttle door. Crocker eased the handcuffs off Ben and put a hand on his shoulder. Lucas couldn't make out the words but it was a short conversation, whatever was being said.

Bridger and Ford stood to the side as Crocker gestured to Ben to enter the shuttle. He would be taken to shore and it was Crocker's job to make sure he got there. Nobody spoke but Ben paused in the doorway and turned back to take one last look around. He caught sight of Lucas and for a moment he froze. Somehow he managed to keep a straight face before turning back and marching aboard the shuttle. Bridger caught his reaction and turned to look back over his shoulder. His heart sunk as he saw Lucas standing there. _I guess I should have known you wouldn't stay away!_

Ford didn't have to turn around to know who was behind him. He could tell by the captain's face that it could only be Lucas. If it had been anyone else he wouldn't have been trying so hard to keep a neutral facial expression. Ford knew his captain well enough to know this charade was costing him dearly. Lying to Lucas just wasn't something he would have ever contemplated doing.

As the shuttle pulled away Bridger decided he need to clear the air with Lucas before things got any worse. They started back towards the bridge but only made it out the shuttle bay door when Lucas rounded on them. He had been waiting in the corridor, debating whether to hang around or not. Finally his anger won out and he let fly at them both as soon as they came through the door.

"So that's it is it? The _problem _is dealt with?" The fury in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Hold on Lucas …" Bridger started but was quickly cut off.

"I hope you're happy, _Commander?_ I know Ben didn't always fit your idea of a good officer but he didn't deserve this! Did you have to rub it in by parading him through the boat in handcuffs? Completely humiliate him in front of his friends? Was it fun to watch?"

The venom in his voice took Ford by surprise but he maintained his outward composure even while his stomach was churning. The truth was, he felt sickened by what had just transpired but he couldn't afford to let the mask slip. _Ben_ couldn't afford for him to let the mask slip. He stood and watched as Lucas stormed off down the corridor. There was nothing else he could do but return to the bridge while the captain went looking for a very angry teenager to give him the letter he held in his hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews. I hope you're enjoying this. I know it's different to my others but I don't want to write lots of stories that are the same. **

**Chapter Four**

Lucas lay back on his bunk and stared at the paper in his hand. It was covered in a smooth, looping scrawl and it was starting to tear along the crease lines as he had read it and reread it so many times over the last month. He knew Ben had written it while locked up in the brig. What he didn't know was that Ben had wondered at the time if he would ever get to see Lucas again. Was he writing a final farewell?

He couldn't believe it had been a whole thirty four days since Ben left. Even though the letter said he would contact Lucas, there hadn't been any word at all. It was as though he had disappeared off the face of the earth. Nobody else seemed to be counting but it was a part of Lucas' nature to keep track of things. He held the pages back up in the air and began to read again.

_Dear Lucas,_

_I know it seems like a coward's way out to have Captain Bridger pass this on to you but I just don't trust myself to tell you what I want to say face to face. When you first came aboard I was one of those who thought you didn't belong on the seaQuest. You soon changed my mind for me and I was glad you had come. I never met anybody quite like you and I count myself lucky to have called you a friend. Most of my favourite memories of my time on seaQuest involve you in some way._

_I can't begin to explain what went wrong but my biggest regret is that I feel I let you down. I was embarrassed by the mess I had created and I just wanted to shut everyone out. I know I hurt you and you have no idea how sorry I am for that. I appreciate that you tried to help me in spite of my behavior. I only hope you will one day be able to forgive me._

_I don't know where I'm going from here but I will contact you soon and let you know what's happening. Right now I just need some space to get my head around life outside the UEO. Who knows, I might become a door to door salesman. I've got enough supply contacts!_

_Lucas, I know you well enough to know you may feel the need to say something to defend me. Loyalty is a great quality, just make sure the object of your loyalty deserves it. Don't go getting yourself into trouble on my account. I deserved the guilty finding so don't give Captain Bridger or Commander Ford a hard time over it. Your relationship with Bridger is too important to jeopardize because of me. And it's not worth the agro of getting on Ford's bad side! Trust me, I know._

_Take care of yourself kid and whatever happens I will never forget you._

_Your friend always,_

_Ben_

Lucas carefully folded the worn paper back up and stuffed it down between his bunk and the wall. It wasn't as though he thought anyone would take it but he just wanted to keep it someplace secret, as though by doing so he could continue the secret hope that Ben was somehow coming back. He rolled back over onto his side and caught sight of the old baseball cap on his desk. A lump caught in his throat as he recalled how much Ben loved baseball. It was one of the things they had in common.

* * *

Thirty four days and it seemed as though everyone had forgotten Ben even existed. At first there had been plenty of talk in the mess but gradually life had returned to normal. Things were too busy around here to stay focussed on old news for long. After his angry outburst towards the captain and Ford, Lucas had tried to avoid them both. It was an impossible task in the confines of a submarine, even one as large as _seaQuest._ Lucas knew he had overstepped the mark but had no idea how to fix things.

For his part, Ford had decided that Lucas needed some space to cool off and had left him alone but Bridger wasn't prepared to let the silent treatment go on forever. He had reminded Lucas that he was a part of the crew and needed to behave accordingly. He tried to make opportunities for Lucas to talk to him but the teenager seemed to retreat into himself. It seemed that all the gains of the last eighteen months had just been wiped away.

In desperation, Bridger had called on O'Neill and Ortiz to help but they had said much the same thing. Lucas had taken the captain's words about responsibility to heart and was pulling his weight but it seemed that the spark had gone out of him. He wasn't interested in anything outside his shift and only seemed to spend time with Darwin. Bridger had even found himself on the receiving end of a dolphin telling off! Darwin didn't understand the complexities of the situation but he did know that Lucas was miserable and it was somehow Bridger's fault.

Even Doctor Westphalen had become concerned about the teenager as he seemed to be losing weight. It was hard to tell under those loose layers of clothing but his face looked thinner and she knew he wasn't eating in the mess with his friends. That usually equated to he wasn't eating at all. She had taken her concerns to the captain but he seemed at a loss as to what to do. He couldn't tell her what was going on either and hated having to keep secrets from people he cared so much about.

He longed to be able to tell Lucas the truth about Ben and found he had to watch every word he said around him. Lucas picked up on it but misread it as the captain treating him with kid gloves. The one thing he resented most was being treated as a child and he never thought that Bridger would do it to him. But then he never thought Ben would leave either. Funny how things change.

**Thirty four days earlier…**

When Crocker took Ben to shore it had been a very uncomfortable trip. The handcuffs had finally been removed as they boarded the shuttle and the security chief seemed embarrassed about the whole thing. Of all the things he had ever had to do in his job, this was by far the hardest.

He tried several times to strike up a conversation but it quickly fizzled out. Ben didn't seem inclined to talk so Crocker left him to his thoughts. He kept replaying the look on Lucas' face as he boarded the shuttle.

"_Please God, don't let that be the last time I see him."_

He tried to push the thought away and focus instead on the job ahead of him. He slowly leaned down and touched the bag at his side. All UEO identification had been stripped from his things as he no longer belonged to them. At least officially. They were only fifteen minutes out from port and he needed to make his way to the co-ordinates Bridger had given him. He had the place memorized and could find it in his sleep. Section Seven had identified it as a point of contact. Now he just needed to play the part and hope they took the bait.

After docking the shuttle and making sure Ben had his bag, Crocker held out his hand. Ben seemed taken aback by the gesture but smiled as he took hold of the chief's hand and shook it. There didn't seem to be anything to say so he just smiled and said, "See ya round, Chief."

As he picked up his bag and turned to leave he felt Crocker's hand on his shoulder.

"Ben, do you need anything?… Money … or …?" the rest of the question hung in the air.

Ben smiled and shook his head.

"No … but thanks for asking."

He turned away before his face betrayed him and walked off along the length of the dock. Chief Crocker watched him go and then climbed back into the shuttle with a heavy heart.

* * *

Ben found his way to the small tavern that was obviously in the rougher part of town. He recognised it from the advertisement the captain had shown him but it just didn't seem to have the friendly atmosphere portrayed there. The photo was a few years old at least and the paint work was looking a bit the worse for wear. It had an air of disrepair about it but that didn't seem to keep the crowd away judging by the noise coming from inside. He pulled his black woolen beanie down a little and adjusted his bag over his shoulder. Taking a deep breath he walked inside and enquired about a room.

He had to pay up front for the week but he guessed that guests in this part of town were probably inclined to leave without paying otherwise. As the owner led him to a small room on the third floor he carefully noted the layout of the place. Where the stairwells were, how many rooms ran the length of the corridor and most importantly, where the fire escape was.

He sat down on the bed and pulled out the contents of his bag. Running an inventory through his head he glanced at his watch and decided it was too early to head to the bar. Instead he decided some rest would be a good idea as it could turn out to be a long night. He stretched out on the bed and hoped he really wasn't going to have to stay here for a week. The bed was well past its use-by date but somehow he figured that guests here wouldn't complain.

"_Even the bed in the brig was better than this," _he thought to himself as he dozed off.

* * *

Ben slouched over the bar looking for all the world to be drunk. He had certainly drunk enough scotch to be completely smashed but thanks to the tablets he had taken earlier, the alcohol wasn't being absorbed into his system. He knew the drug was experimental but Section Seven had assured him there were no lasting side effects. He was just going to be very, very sick in the morning, which would look normal anyway after a night of hard drinking.

This was the third night in a row he had sat at the bar and seemingly drunk himself into a stupor. The bar staff had been forced to take him to his room and leave him to sleep it off. As he sat and brooded over another shot of scotch, two men were watching him from the back of the room. Eventually they stood up and casually wandered over to sit at the bar next to Ben. His head slipped down onto the bar and he seemed to be asleep.

The man next to him leaned over and prodded him.

"Ben? Ben Krieg?"

"Never heard of 'im," Ben muttered from under his arm.

The man prodded him again and eventually Ben looked up at him with bleary eyes.

"Wadda you want?" he slurred.

"You _are _Ben Krieg aren't you?"

"Who wansta know?" he asked suspiciously.

"Somebody who thinks you may be interested in a job."

Ben tried to sit upright but seemed as though he would overbalance and fall off the stool. The man next to him grabbed his elbow and steadied him.

"Don't wanta job. You only get screwed!" he dropped his head back on the bar and ignored them.

The two men exchanged smiles and nodded slightly. Yes, this was the man they were after all right.

"How would you like a chance to get some revenge on those who screwed you?"

Ben slowly raised his head and pretended to try and focus on the faces before him.

"Yeah, right!" he slurred. "Ya don't get revenge on the UEO!"

"What if we could offer you a way to do just that?"

Ben slowly looked from one to the other and then burst out laughing.

"We're very serious Mr Krieg. We know why you left _seaQuest _and we thought you may want to even the score."

Ben stopped laughing and stared at the two of them.

"If you're serious … I'm in."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the encouragement and reviews. As always, you make me laugh! It's nice to know there are other slightly loopy people out there besides me.**

**Chapter Five**

Ben tried to stand up again but his stomach threatened another attack if he did so. Instead he lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. The room eventually stopped spinning enough for him to open them again but the light from the windows was too bright and he clamped them shut. He realised someone had entered the room but he didn't have the energy to look and see who it was this time.

The two men he had met in the bar last night had driven him back to their own hotel which seemed to be in a much better class of neighbourhood than his previous accommodation. The bed certainly was far more comfortable and from what he had seen of the bathroom it was much cleaner too. At least it had been until he had staggered in there sometime in the early hours of the morning. His stomach still ached from vomiting and his head felt like it was going to explode.

His magic pills may have done the trick as far as keeping him sober and mentally alert but they didn't do anything to prevent a massive hangover. Somewhere along the line all that alcohol had to catch up with him and his body had to deal with it. This was the third miserable morning he had endured in as many days.

_Now where's the fun in that? A hangover without any of the benefits of actually getting drunk! Trust Section Seven to suck the fun out of everything._

A voice to his left reminded him that he wasn't alone and Ben jumped a little as he opened his eyes again. He tentatively turned over to see a glass of something being waved in his face.

"Here, try this. It should help."

He eased himself up enough to take the glass and forced himself to drink whatever it was that was fizzing around in it. His stomach threatened another revolt but he managed to keep it under control.

"Maybe a shower will help."

Ben grimaced as he looked towards the bathroom door.

"Don't worry, housekeeping's already been in and fumigated it!" the voice laughed.

Without speaking, he dragged himself off the bed and started towards the bathroom. He had to admit a hot shower sounded pretty good. If nothing else he needed to get out of the crumpled clothes he had slept in. He found his bag was sitting on the floor and he pulled out some fresh clothes before heading for the bathroom. He knew they would have gone through it but there was nothing in there that could incriminate him. His tablets were still in his pocket, labeled as paracetemol and nothing else had any importance.

Quite some time later Ben emerged feeling slightly more human. At least the grime from the night before was gone and his stomach had settled a bit. Whatever was in that glass seemed to be doing its job. As he came back into the room he realised there was nobody there, until he heard voices out on the balcony. He stepped through the sliding door out into the sunshine and recoiled at how bright it was. The same two men from last night sat at the small table. One of them waved him over and held out a coffee pot.

Ben nodded in agreement and sat down in the only remaining chair as a mug of steaming coffee was set before him.

"So … wanna fill me in on just what I'm doing here and maybe where "here" is?"

He leaned back with the coffee mug in his hand and took a sip.

_So far, so good._

When that stayed down he tried a larger mouthful.

"Well, let's just say we have a common grievance and we thought you may be interested in helping us out," said the one that Ben had mentally nicknamed Sven since he had blonde hair. The other one was bald so Ben had named him Kojak after an old television show his mother had once shown him when he was a child.

When Ben didn't answer Sven continued on, "How would you like to get your own back on that arrogant officer who had you drummed out of service?"

"Ford?" Ben asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice. "Yeah, sure! Like I'm ever gonna get within ten feet of him again, safely tucked away on the _seaQuest!_"

"What if we said we could get you back on the _seaQuest? _And you get to have some fun at his expense?"

This was exactly what Ben was hoping for but he tried to reign in his enthusiasm. He didn't want to tip his hand by seeming too eager. The UEO had been waiting nearly six months for a break in this investigation and Ben didn't want to blow it now. These were the same group of people who had first come after Lucas and tried to intimidate him into helping them. When that didn't work, Admiral Rogers had resorted to blackmail.

Lucas had gotten desperate enough to fake an accident in the Stinger in order to buy time to get to the bottom of the threat. Ben recalled how he had felt watching the Stinger explode on the view screen and he had to fight down the bile that was rising in his throat. A fleeting look of anger crossed his face at the memory, which was misread by the other two. His anger over recent events on the _seaQuest _was exactly what they were relying on.

He leaned back in the chair and slowly took another mouthful of coffee before replying.

"You're dreaming if you think _you_ can get onto the _seaQuest _much less get _me _back on there. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm _persona non grata." _

The one Ben had nicknamed Kojak leaned forward in his seat.

"In a few weeks the _seaQuest_ will be coming into port. The crew will be taking shoreleave. We have contacts in place to help us get on board then as part of the maintenance crew. From there the _seaQuest _will come in handy to shake the UEO out of its arrogance. It's amazing the difference a little firepower can make to … _negotiations_," he smirked.

As Ben listened through the throbbing of his headache he couldn't help but feel astounded at what he was hearing. The UEO knew there was a serious security breach and Rogers wasn't the top of the chain. They had discovered some of the people who were part of the conspiracy but its tentacles ran deeper than anyone had suspected.

"So what do you need me for if you already have a plan?"

"We need specific details. Things that someone who has lived on the _seaQuest _can tell us. Layouts, schedules, crew information, timetables, stores. All sorts of inside information we can put to good use to make this raid run smoothly."

Ben looked from one to the other. Without realising he was doing it he rubbed at his temple. The last time he had gone up against one of these people he had been lucky to escape the incident with his skull intact. One of them had come after Lucas but unexpectedly found Ben in his quarters. Ultimately Edwards had been arrested and sent off to a UEO prison for further interrogation. It had taken this long for anything useful to come from it.

Ben looked as though he was thinking it over and finally he looked at them both and slowly nodded.

"Good! OK, you get the rest of today to sleep off that hangover and in the morning we get moving. There's a lot to do before the _seaQuest _gets into port.

As he watched their smiling faces he wondered what the response would have been if he had said "no".

* * *

Lucas wasn't the only one keeping count. Bridger was keenly aware of how many days it had been since he last spoke to his lieutenant. Several times every day he checked his secure channel, waiting for … for what? For anything really. Proof that Ben was still alive maybe? That Section Seven hadn't sent him off to his death. As each day rolled by with no word he couldn't help but wonder whether he had made the right choice.

As he sat at his desk and stared at the blank screen he thought about why he had agreed to this in the first place. He had had time for his anger to cool a little since Admiral Rogers had first come after Lucas but it was slowly coming back to the boil. Lucas had designed a new computer program that had amazing potential in various applications but the admiral and a shadowy group he was working with had designs of their own on the program. They planned to use it against the UEO for their own gain.

He hadn't counted on the stubborness of teenagers and when Lucas refused to be pressured, Rogers turned his threats against Captain Bridger. The sequence of events after that had rocked the _seaQuest _crew. Believing Lucas was dead and blaming himself, Bridger had been devastated.

The only thing that kept him focussed as he lied to Lucas each day was the memory of that day. He felt his breathing quicken as he tried to ignore the memory of the Stinger exploding. Just as Lucas had made desperate decisions then in order to protect him, so now Bridger was making choices in order to protect Lucas. Most of the people behind it all were still out there and this wasn't over yet. He had vowed to do whatever he needed to do to bring every last one of them down.

"_It's ironic really," _he thought. _"They picked Krieg because they thought he could pull off the insubordination but he didn't hesitate when he knew what was being asked of him."_

Thirty four days with no word. Bridger sat and rubbed at his temples with his fingertips. His relationship with Lucas was deteriorating and there didn't seem to be anything he could do to fix it. If the worst happened and Ben didn't come back he had no idea how he would ever explain all this. He pushed the thought aside and focussed on what he needed to do for now.

The _seaQuest _was due into port in three days for some shore leave. Normally the crew had plans ready well in advance and talked about them for weeks on end but this time was different. They had made their plans but the enthusiasm just wasn't at the usual levels. Lucas hadn't been very forthcoming with his own plans, especially since Bridger had told him that he was staying on board.

The captain got the distinct impression Lucas couldn't wait to get off the submarine. Bridger had tried asking others but nobody seemed to know what Lucas had in mind. All he knew was that Doctor Wolenzcak was somewhere in Antarctica so if Lucas was going home it would be to an empty house. Usually if that was going to be the case then he would make other plans to hang out with someone else but things were far from usual at the moment.

Bridger sighed as he realised just how long it had been since he had a real conversation with Lucas. The truth was he missed him. As a feeling of self reproach began to settle over him he realised a small image was winking at him from the screen.

"It's about time!" he breathed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Whew! This chapter was hard to write. I've got an upcoming chapter almost done but this bit just wouldn't come together. Don't ya ****hate it when the words won't behave themselves? It would be much easier if I wrote in a linear fashion but I have to write down what comes to mind even when it's out of sequence. So hopefully this is making sense to you.**

**I decided to give Ben a break in this chapter because I thought Joxer may start sending me letterbombs or something. Hopefully I've put your mind at ease now and you've still been able to eat lunch :-)**

**Anyhow I hope you're all still enjoying it.**

**Chapter Six**

Katie Hitchcock sat in the mess and tried to finish reading the pile of reports in front of her. Only a few other crew were in there as it was late. She had read and re-read the same paragraph four times but it just wasn't sinking in. She sighed and put the report down on the table. Picking up her coffee mug she realised it was empty. She stood up and headed over to refill it and caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

She turned back to look and saw Commander Ford walk into the room. He barely missed a beat as he came towards her but she noted a slight hesitation nonetheless. Not many people would have picked up on it but she was acutely aware that something had changed between them. They were both professional enough to not let it affect their work but something had definitely changed. There had always been an easy give and take between them where each knew what the other was going to do next.

Katie refused to ask what had caused the argument between Ford and Ben as she kept telling herself it was none of her business. She wasn't tied to Ben anymore and Ford was her commanding officer, which meant she had no right to question his decisions. In private, in the dark where she wouldn't let anyone else see, she had cried tears of frustration but in public she was the epitome of a dedicated officer. Jonathan had tried to talk to her, to offer some sort of explanation but she had stopped him. She didn't think she really wanted to know what had happened. Since then, something undefinable had wedged itself between them.

For his part, Ford desperately wanted to be able to tell her the truth. He relied on his senior officers and that meant honesty between them. Withholding classified information was one thing; outright deception was quite another. He had once been ordered to deceive Captain Bridger in order to lure him back into service as the captain of the _seaQuest. _Admiral Noyce had told him to act in a way that was completely out of character for him and he had hated every moment of it. When the truth came out and he had apologised, Bridger had accepted it as "just following orders." He hoped that Katie would take the same attitude towards him when this was over. Of course he figured that very much depended on what shape Ben was in at that time.

He really didn't want to be thinking along those lines so he forced a smile onto his face and headed for the coffee. Katie had on an equally forced smile and she held out the coffee pot to him to fill his mug.

"Working late?" he asked.

"Just trying to get on top of the reports. They never seem to ease up."

"Didn't you know they breed while you aren't looking?"

Katie smiled at the lame joke but felt grateful that they were at least talking.

"Want a hand?"

"I'm sure you have better things to do with your time than fill out more reports," she said

"Not really," he looked at her hesitantly. "I'm not exactly welcome at poker games these days."

It seemed strange that Katie was the one person he felt comfortable enough to admit that to but their friendship had always been based on mutual respect. She hadn't judged him when everything blew up with Krieg and he was grateful for that. It would have been easy for her to do so but she hadn't.

"In that case, knock yourself out!" She handed him a pile of folders as they both sat down with their coffees. She tried to read the report while glancing over the top of it. He seemed tired, strained. But there was something else she couldn't quite pinpoint. Ford wasn't easy to read at the best of times but now he seemed closed off.

She knew the crew wouldn't say anything outright but it was obvious there was now an uncomfortable strain between Ford and his senior officers. They had all asked the same questions amongst themselves but none of them had the right to ask directly. And ultimately he had done nothing wrong. That was what made this so damn frustrating. While it would have made it so much easier to just be able to hate Ford, they all knew that whatever had happened, it was Ben who blew it.

* * *

Lucas had decided against joining tonight's poker game despite the repeated requests from Miguel. At first he had agreed, mainly to shut them up but later in the day he decided he really didn't feel like it. All afternoon Miguel had been pestering him about it and finally he had turned off his PAL. He was off duty after all and he didn't have to have it on if he didn't want to. He figured the only way to avoid being hassled was to be out of reach. He knew if he stayed in his quarters someone would come looking for him to drag him along to the game, so he had taken his laptop and set off for somewhere he could be alone.

Privacy was a luxury on a submarine and he had long ago found that there weren't really any places to hide. The best he could do was to find a place where nobody really went unless they had to. Unfortunately that meant a little discomfort because it was hot but it was worth it to get some time out when he needed it. Most teenagers got to let off steam in various ways but Lucas found he was always confined by his surroundings. That and the expectation to behave like an adult.

Somewhere in the depths of the _seaQuest _Lucas had discovered little used service ports into Engineering and it had become a secret place he could go to when he just needed to get away. Nobody knew where he went although Bridger had noted that the teenager disappeared from time to time. He had once seen him coming back to his room with streaks of grease across his shirt and made a guess as to where he had been. He figured that if Lucas needed some space then he was happy to give it to him and he hadn't asked anything.

Sometime later Lucas wandered through the narrow corridors towards Engineering and hoped he wouldn't run into anyone. He stopped at each junction and waited to see if anyone was coming around the corner. The last thing he wanted was to be asked why he was down there. He could hear the rhythmic motion of the magdrive from a distance and feel the vibrations through his feet as he got closer.

Deciding it was clear to carry on he slipped into a side port and slid the hatch shut behind him. The temperature in there was markedly higher than outside but he could deal with that. At least in here nobody was going to come and ask him stupid questions or drag him off somewhere to cheer him up. He slid down onto the floor and pulled out the laptop. It didn't take long to set up a connection with the internal computer and he had an override in place to stop anyone detecting him from the bridge. This place wouldn't have stayed a secret long if the sensors sent out an intruder alert.

* * *

Ford rubbed at his eyes as he handed the last report over to Hitchcock. It had taken nearly two hours but they had finally wrapped up the pile. He didn't especially like paperwork but there was something satisfying in completing a job that appealed to his sense of order. He smiled at her and was about to suggest another cup of coffee when she yawned. Even though they hadn't said much, Jonathan realised he had missed the companionship of just being with someone else. It had been comfortable working with Katie tonight and it seemed like old times for a while. As he looked across at her he realised how tired she looked.

"_You idiot!" _he thought to himself. _"She might not have said anything but this has to be hard on her. And you sat here and rubbed her nose in it!" _Mentally kicking himself for being insensitive, Ford stood up and stretched.

"Well I'm gonna call it a day. Thanks for all your help. See you in the morning." He started to move off when Katie called him back.

"Jonathan …," she paused as if unsure how to go on. "Nobody blames you … not really. It's just … going to take time."

He looked at her thoughtfully before slowly nodding and starting off again. He hadn't made it out the door before Captain Bridger rushed in the door. Spotting his XO he hurried over and whispered something urgent. The two of them walked out the door together although Katie had the distinct impression they both wanted to run. She frowned as she stared at the empty doorway.

_"Something's going on."_

* * *

Bridger paced up and down his quarters. Ford leaned on the desk with his arms folded across his chest and watched his captain. Both were men of action and the whole idea of sitting on their hands was completely foreign to them both. And yet that was exactly what that message was telling them to do. Sit back and wait to be hijacked! Clear the boat when they made it into port and leave the way open without making it obvious. It went against all military training to leave their boat vulnerable to danger and yet there was no other way to expose this whole ugly charade.

Bridger stopped pacing and turned back to Ford.

"I need a crew list. Who's scheduled to stay aboard? We may need to make some changes."

Ford nodded. "Anything else?"

Bridger frowned as he slowly nodded.

"I need to know what Lucas is planning for shore leave. He wouldn't tell me and I need to make sure he's as far away from here as possible." He looked up at Ford with anger in his eyes before turning away.

"Those bastards aren't getting anywhere near him this time!" The last part was almost a whisper but Ford got the meaning anyway. He started towards the door before turning back.

"This time, we _finish_ the job, Sir."

* * *

Lucas rubbed his face and wiped the drops of sweat off his hand onto his shirt. The atmosphere was getting sticky but he barely noticed. He was engrossed in the information rolling down the screen in front of him.

When Ben first left he had expected to hear from him in a few days, at least within a week. When that didn't happen and nobody seemed too worried about it he decided it was time to go looking. Most of the crew he had talked to just dismissed it as Krieg needing some time to sort himself out. But Lucas was holding onto a promise from Ben that he would be in contact.

Lucas felt torn as he started today's search. He knew how Bridger felt about him hacking into things but his overriding concern at the moment was finding what had happened to Ben. He pushed the nagging voice down and began to type. As he had done every day for the last three weeks he started at the beginning, looking for any information on file that would indicate where Ben had gone after leaving the _seaQuest._ The only thing that ever came up was what he already knew – Crocker had escorted him to shore. The file didn't contain any indication of where he was going from there.

"_I guess once he was out they didn't need to keep tabs."_

Next he started a search to see if Ben had contacted anyone aboard the _seaQuest. _He hated the thought that he may have been overlooked while someone else knew what was going on but he could deal with the whys of that later. Right now he needed to know if there had been any messages since he last checked. After nearly an hour of scanning he had come up empty handed. Nobody seemed to be hiding anything there.

Lucas leaned back against the wall and frowned at the computer. Where to start looking next? He flexed his fingers and moved to start typing again. Something made him hesitate and his hands hovered over the keys. He hated this bit. As angry as he had been at Bridger and Ford this always felt like betrayal. He tentatively began to type before habit took over and his hands began to fly over the keys.

First he set up the filters to cover his tracks and then he began to trawl through the classified communications. Most of it seemed rather boring and he really wasn't interested in it. There was only one thing on his radar but each day he had come up empty. His friends didn't know why he seemed so withdrawn and Lucas probably couldn't have explained it to them. It just seemed that his friend had disappeared into thin air.

Suddenly something caught his attention. An encrypted communiqué to the captain without a source and it was only thirty eight minutes old. That wasn't possible! Even the most encrypted file had a source and Lucas hadn't yet met a file he couldn't identify and break. Until now. He frowned at the file and began to type again.

Nothing.

He tried another angle but it was like trying to open a safe with a toothpick. This was going to take some time but that was no deterrent. Lucas knew this file contained answers and he wasn't going to stop until he had them!


	7. Chapter 7

**Thankyou to everyone for your reviews. It's always appreciated to know what you think. I'm itching to just jump to the chapter I've already written but I know things need to move along properly so here's the next installment. We'll get there soon I promise.**

**Chapter Seven**

Lucas chewed his lower lip as he typed. He was completely unaware of the passage of time as he focussed on the job before him. Part of him felt frustrated that he was being blocked but another part found the thrill of the challenge exhilarating. His mind ran the possible answers to the encryption almost too fast for his fingers to keep up. Finally he found a small chink in the armour but that was enough.

"_I'm through!" _

He absent-mindedly wiped at the perspiration on his face with the edge of his t-shirt while he scanned the information before him. Lucas sucked in a breath with shock. This wasn't possible! The implication of what he was reading was staggering and he slumped back against the wall. His heart was pounding as he resumed reading.

When he got to the end of the communiqué Lucas urgently began another search thread. He knew this couldn't possibly be the only one. There had to have been more. It didn't take long before he pulled up another one, encrypted just as the first one had been. Since he had already broken the encryption on the first one it didn't take very long for him to get through this one as well.

It was dated the day after Ben's altercation with Commander Ford. He picked it straight away as that date was burned into Lucas' brain. The day that Ben lost his mind! As he read the secret document the pieces began to fall into place. Lucas closed his eyes and tried to calm the emotions that were competing for his attention. Shock. Anger. Relief. Fear.

He realised he hadn't found this sooner because he only started searching the files dated _after_ Ben left. There had been no reason to think to look for anything earlier. He was mentally kicking himself at the short-sightedness of that decision as it had stopped him finding what he was after for so long.

Finally it made some sense. Lucas tried to shake the fear that threatened to overwhelm him on two fronts. Admiral Rogers had been part of a larger conspiracy and Lucas knew the UEO had only scratched the surface of it. He had tried not to worry about who was still out there and that had gotten easier as time had passed and nothing further had come of it. The idea that two conspirators had gotten onto the _seaQuest _had shaken him more than he had ever admitted to anyone but gradually things had gotten back to normal and he had convinced himself it was all over.

Now he realised it was far from over. Section Seven was running a covert operation and Captain Bridger knew about it! _No … he was a part of it! _And obviously so were Ben and Ford. Lucas thought about the things he had said to both Bridger and Ford. Angry words, born out of frustration. Now he didn't know what to feel.

He was elated that Ben hadn't really thrown away his career. He hadn't really been discharged after all but then Lucas pulled up short as he realised that Ben was out there somewhere, playing a game of cat and mouse with the very men who had tried to kill him! He swallowed down the lump that was sticking in his throat and tried to decide what to do next.

It was obvious Bridger was trying to keep this all a secret from him so Lucas wondered if he should let on what he had found out or stay quiet. Finally he decided he needed to be cautious and keep quiet, at least for now.

* * *

Ben was exhausted. Not only was he physically tired but the strain of trying to keep three steps ahead of these people was beginning to catch up with him. He had decided the best way to stop from making a mistake was to stick to the truth as much as possible. He knew they had to be waiting to see if he slipped up. He really didn't want to think about the consequences if that happened but he guessed it would be quick, if not painless.

These people were relying on his angry response to his apparent disgrace so he needed to make it convincing. It turned out to be surprisingly easy for Ben to get into the swing of pretending to hate Ford. He dredged up everything that had ever bugged him about the man, from the perfect state of his uniform to his ever-cool exterior, even under pressure.

It seemed that whenever Ben made a hash of something, Ford was always there to show how it _should _be done. Not only that but he seemed to have charmed Katie as well. Ben had long ago resigned himself to the fact that he blew that one but a part of him still liked to dream. If only …. He just wasn't ready to see her with anyone else although he knew it was inevitable. Mentally stirring himself into a state of jealousy ensured he could keep up the act.

Mouthing off in front of these guys about his former commanding officer had become almost second nature. He secretly wondered if he would be able to reign it back in when, or if, he made it back to the _seaQuest._

For their part, everyone he had been introduced to was ex-UEO. It seemed they had come from varying backgrounds but whoever was doing the recruiting had sought out anyone who had ever had a serious gripe with the UEO. There didn't seem to be any shortage of them either. Every one of them felt they had been cheated in some way and were justified in what they were doing. Revenge is a powerful motivator and it was the driving force which held this group together and pushed them forward.

Ben spent his days helping to plan the raid on the _seaQuest. _He struggled to know how much information to give to sound convincing without overdoing it. Each night he went back over the events of the day. He took careful note of the interactions between each of the team and tried to work out what made each of them tick. If he could analyse them well enough it would mean he could possibly predict their reactions once they were on board. It could make the difference between success and failure. More importantly, it could mean the difference between life and death.

As he lay on his bunk each night and stared into the dark he prayed that somehow they could pull this off without any of the _seaQuest _crew getting injured in the process. He knew there was a Section Seven operative buried somewhere in this group but he had no indication of who it was. He hoped they had been able to get word back to Bridger that he had made it in but there was just no way of knowing anything. He also had no idea who he could count on when it all hit the fan.

"_Just me, I guess"_

He scratched at the thick stubble on his face. It had been years since he last grew a beard but someone here had suggested it. It seemed logical enough as he would be attempting to get back on board without being spotted. Growing that was the easy part.

Jacobs had also insisted he wear a knee brace which altered the way he walked. Instead of his usual long confident stride, he now moved with a slightly stilted walk. It seemed that even from a distance most people could pick up someone they were familiar with by their posture and walk so this was one more element in the effort to disguise Ben from his friends. Another detail that would help get him aboard without alerting anyone.

* * *

Captain Bridger stood at the shuttle bay doors and waited for the last of the science crew to leave. They were headed out to various places, each of them taking advantage of the three weeks scheduled leave. Many were going to conferences while some were taking research time at different institutions. Some were just taking a well earned break from the confines of life on a submarine.

Bridger looked at his watch again and wondered what was keeping Lucas. It wasn't like it was unusual for him to be tardy but he had seemed so keen to get going this morning and now he was holding up the last shuttle.

"Don't worry. He'll be here," Kristin smiled.

She knew how time could get away from the teenager when he was focussed on something. He seemed to have been preoccupied for the last two days but he hadn't been inclined to explain why.

"He's looking forward to catching up with his friends."

Bridger raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked at her.

"He actually _told_ you that?"

"Yes. He said they were planning on meeting up tomorrow. I think it's rather sweet that he will get to see Julianna again. I thought he had discussed this with you. Didn't he?" Kristin looked at him with a slight frown, wondering how Nathan could be unaware of Lucas' shore leave plans.

Bridger shook his head.

"He doesn't seem to want to tell me anything lately. It feels like he has been avoiding me for the last few days. I knew he was going to see Nick but he hadn't mentioned Julianna."

"Maybe he just wants some privacy. You know what teenagers can be like." Kristin tried to put a positive spin on the conversation but she was worried too. The strain between the two of them was obvious and she hated to watch it. She hoped that some time apart might remind them both how much they cared about each other. After all, didn't the saying go that absence makes the heart grow fonder?

In actual fact, Lucas had spent the last two days debating whether or not to tell Captain Bridger he knew what was going on. He knew where Ben had gone and why. He knew that Bridger was intentionally walking into a trap and he knew that it was ultimately _his _fault.

All this began because of his program. He had felt so clever in designing it but he had never considered just how destructive it could be in the wrong hands. After Admiral Rogers demanded he hand it over, Lucas had realised just what he had created. He wondered if this was how other scientists had felt when their work had been corrupted and used for other purposes.

He felt sick at the thought his designs could be used as a weapon against the UEO. At first he wanted to destroy the program and his research but Bridger had stopped him. He reminded Lucas that all things can be misused but creative people shouldn't stop dreaming because of it. So he had put it aside for a time and struggled to decide just what to do with it. So far he hadn't come up with an answer that answered his fear of misuse.

As he hurried down the corridor towards the shuttle bay, Lucas tried to think what he was going to say. He hoped the captain wouldn't be there but he knew that wasn't going to happen. He came around the corner and through the door just in time to see Bridger deep in conversation with Kristin.

" _No guessing what they are talking about!"_

Bridger looked up as Lucas hurried through the door. The teenager tried to compose his face into the "don't talk to me" teenage face but Bridger had already caught a glimpse of something. His heart skipped as he briefly wondered if Lucas knew something he shouldn't. He tried to ignore the thought. After all if Lucas had stumbled onto anything he wouldn't be voluntarily leaving now. He would be trying to hang around and help Ben. Bridger knew him well enough to know there was no way he would be leaving the _seaQuest _if he thought Ben was coming back.

He decided he was imagining things and he stepped over to intercept Lucas before he boarded the shuttle. Lucas tried to avoid eye contact in case he inadvertently gave something away. The gear he was carrying in his bag had nothing to do with visiting friends and everything to do with helping one friend in particular. Some days he was convinced Bridger could read his mind so he just wanted to get on board the shuttle and get out of there.

"Have a great time, Kiddo. I'll see you in a few weeks."

"Uh yeah. It'll be great to see everyone again. Well I've already made everyone late so we better get going." Lucas ducked his head and headed into the shuttle leaving Kristin standing next to Bridger. She looked at him and saw the flicker of pain cross his face.

"You had better get going. You don't want to miss your flight." He smiled at her but there was no warmth in it. She nodded and smiled back. He gestured towards the shuttle and she began to walk to the door. As he watched her leave he felt relieved that they were both on that shuttle, heading away to safety.


	8. Chapter 8

**And so the story continues in the name of Billy Idol and lunchtime rebels… :-)**** and everyone else who is still following along. Thankyou again for your comments and reviews.**

**Chapter Eight**

Lucas had tried to keep up the façade of normality on the way in on the shuttle. He knew Kristin was watching him and he tried to respond to her attempt at a conversation. At the same time he wanted to stay as vague as possible so she couldn't catch him out on anything.

"I'm going to catch up with some friends."

"Will you get a chance to see either of your parents?" she asked hopefully.

Lucas just snorted in response. "Yeah, right! Like either of them have time to waste with me!"

The bitterness in his voice when he talked about his parents always made Kristin want to scream at them. How could parents get too busy to take notice of their only child?

He noted the way she was looking at him and realised he needed to reign it back in before she suggested anything that could ruin his plan.

"Anyway it'll be much more fun hanging out with my friends than staying in an empty house. I'll be fine."

Lucas felt guilty at dragging Wolfman into this but he had promised that if anyone called he would say Lucas was just out getting a pizza. He had no idea what was happening but he thought it was about time that Lucas got to live a little. As a friend he had no problem helping to cover up some teenage stunt that was going to free Lucas from the _seaQuest _for a while. He figured the pre-recorded file Lucas had sent him to forward onto the captain was some kind of an apology in case something went wrong. He had laughed at the idea with Lucas but would have been horrified if he had known the truth of it.

Kristin was tempted to say something more but realised she was treading on sensitive ground. Maybe it really was better if he was going to have three weeks to relax and be a normal teenager for a while. She smiled encouragingly at him and nodded.

"I know you will be fine. It's just that Nathan and I sometimes worry about you and we wanted to make sure you would enjoy your shore leave."

He tried to change the subject and asked Kristin about her trip to London. She was heading back to see family for a long overdue visit and she was very excited about it. He managed to keep her talking for the rest of the trip and before they knew it the shuttle had docked.

Lucas grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Saying a quick goodbye to Kristin he hurried along the dock to find a taxi. He just wanted to get out of sight before anyone could ask anything further.

* * *

The _seaQuest _slipped smoothly through the water towards the dock. Such a large vessel was rarely brought all the way into shore as it was easier to shuttle people and supplies back and forth than maneuver the massive beast into a tiny space. As it rose out of the water the onlookers on shore stood in awe of it. To one small boy it seemed like a sea monster rising out of the deep and he clung to his father's legs.

Bridger watched the view before him on the view screen as his helmsman eased them into shore. He never liked the feeling of bringing his beloved boat into dock. It always reminded him of trying to back his father's car out of the garage when he was first learning to drive. Subconsciously he always held his breath as though the helmsman was going to scrape the paintwork. At least the bioskin could regenerate if he made a mistake. Unlike the chrome on his dad's car! He smiled at the long forgotten memory.

Ford stood next to his captain wondering just what he was smiling about. Bridger seemed not to notice his presence until he coughed slightly.

"Are we ready, Commander?" An innocent enough question to anyone who may have been listening but Ford knew what he meant.

"Yes, Sir. The remaining crew taking leave will depart from here tonight and then the maintenance teams arrive tomorrow. Everything has been stowed as directed and Commander Hitchcock has completed her upgrades."

Bridger nodded, confident that his instructions had been carried out to the letter. Weapons were stored in various secure locations around the _seaQuest _and the crew that were staying had been briefed individually. He didn't want to risk anything leaking so Ford had spoken to each person in private. They each had the option to go but every one of them had decided to stay.

Katie had been given the task of creating a secure shipwide communications system that would just blend into the normal system. It was a tall order in a short space of time especially since she had to do it alone and make it look like routine work. It would have been much quicker if she could have recruited Lucas but obviously that was out of the question.

"Very good, Jonathan. I'll be in my quarters if you need me."

He turned to walk off the bridge and subconsciously registered that they had stopped moving. He had been at sea for so much of his life that his body just knew the rhythms and could sense things long before his mind noticed. The helmsman would certainly have passed the old man's driving test as they had arrived without even a bump.

Now the waiting began.

* * *

Lucas had taken the taxi far enough to get out of sight before he stopped the driver outside a small shopping mall. He didn't think anyone would be following him but he needed to kill some time until dark anyway. He wandered around the shops for a while before he finally decided a movie was a good way to waste a few hours.

He really didn't care what was showing but the latest sci-fi thing looked like it could be distracting enough. If nothing else he could sit and scientifically pull it to pieces.

Half way into it he decided that the scriptwriters should be taken out and shot as it was so bad it was laughable. He could never understand why some sci-fi writers chose to completely ignore scientific facts when they were often so much more interesting than the rubbish they came up with.

_"Maybe they should get onto one of those fanfic sites on the internex and learn how to write!"_

Eventually the torture came to an end and Lucas stretched and yawned before getting up to head out. He looked at his watch and figured he had about an hour before he needed to be in place. Just enough time to get something to eat and get another taxi.

* * *

Ben scrambled to assemble the pieces of the weapon that lay before him. Three others also raced to put theirs together while Jacobs ran the stop watch. There was no way they were going to get weapons past the security personnel tomorrow so the initial ones were going aboard in pieces, mixed in with spare parts.

"Done!" yelled Kojak as he waved the rifle in the air triumphantly. Ben had learned his name was actually Steve but Kojak just suited him better somehow. He muttered something under his breath as he slid the last piece of his rifle into place and heard it click together.

"Done!" he called to Jacobs as he held his up for inspection.

Within thirty seconds the other two had also finished theirs and held them up.

Jacobs clicked his stop watch off and smiled at the men before him.

"Well I think you may just be ready," he smirked. "OK, get this packed away and head out. Food's ready.

As Ben stacked his rifle into the rack he felt Jacobs' hand on his shoulder.

"I want a word with you before you go."

Ben felt his stomach clench into a knot but he just nodded and stepped back to stand beside the older man. Jacobs had a hard edge to him and Ben hadn't been able to get much information from anyone about him. It seemed those who knew anything were too scared of him to talk about him and the rest just sensed it wasn't a good idea to get on his bad side.

Ben felt the knot in his stomach tighten as Jacobs gestured they walk down the corridor, in the opposite direction to where everyone else was going. As they walked along Jacobs didn't say a word and Ben's mind was running a hundred miles an hour as he tried to think if he had done anything to give himself away.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right place?" the taxi driver looked at Lucas as he just nodded. The dark carpark seemed deserted and the driver seemed unwilling to leave a kid there alone.

"My friend is on his way now. He called me before we left to say he'd be here."

He leaned over to pay his fare and the driver continued to look at him dubiously. Lucas pulled his beanie down as low as possible to cover his hair before he slipped out of the taxi. He slung his bag over his shoulder and watched as the driver reluctantly pulled away to pick up his next fare.

As the headlights faded he turned back towards the ocean and headed across the vacant carpark. There was a small marina at the bottom of it and he hoped that Darwin had made it there already. He hadn't had much time to go over the plan with the dolphin as he didn't want to risk being caught talking about it. All he had to say was the captain was in danger and Darwin had agreed to help him. He just hoped that Darwin had found the right place. Scanning the water in the moonlight he finally saw what he was looking for – a silver fin gliding silently towards him. Lucas grinned at the sight and hurried down to the water's edge.

"Right on time!" he whispered. Darwin just tossed his head as if in agreement.

Lucas rummaged through his bag as Darwin eyed him from the water. He peeled off the outer layers of his clothing to reveal the fitted wetsuit underneath. He stuffed the clothes into his bag and then squashed the whole lot into a waterproof dive bag. It had a short rope handle attached, which he tied securely across his chest. The last thing he had brought with him from the _seaQuest _was the small rebreather. He slung it around his neck as he wouldn't need it for a while yet. Finally he stepped into the cool water and waded over towards the dolphin.

"OK, Darwin, let's go."

Without the vocorder he knew Darwin couldn't understand his words but he certainly knew the hand signal Lucas used. Darwin slipped out into the channel with Lucas hanging onto his dorsal fin. They had a way to go to get around the headland so Lucas knew nobody could see him in the dark. As they moved so gracefully through the water it was easy to forget this wasn't a joy ride. Lucas loved the feeling of being towed by his friend and Darwin never seemed to tire of carrying him.

Finally they saw the floodlights of the dock and the silhouette of the _seaQuest _blocked out the moonlight. Darwin paused as Lucas fitted the rebreather into his mouth. With a pat to confirm he was ready, Darwin slid below the surface taking Lucas with him. He swam at a leisurely pace as though he was just coming in from feeding. Lucas tried to stay tucked in beside his body in case the WSKR's picked up the dolphin. He had told Darwin to avoid them but he figured he couldn't be too careful. He knew with only a small crew contingent left on board nobody would be looking too closely if they did happen to notice Darwin coming back in.

Finally Darwin swam through the port that was left open for him and he easily pulled Lucas along through the aquatubes. The lower tubes were enclosed, unlike the ones that led through the crew quarters and up onto the bridge. Lucas had no idea which part of the boat they were in but he trusted that Darwin knew where he was going.

* * *

Finally Jacobs pulled an envelope from his pocket and silently handed it to Ben. He turned it over in his hands and then tentatively opened it. He had to literally bite his tongue as he pulled out a picture of Lucas. He didn't trust himself to speak so he waited for Jacobs to speak first. As the silence stretched he looked up to see the other man staring at him.

"You know him?"

There was no point denying the obvious – he couldn't have served on the _seaQuest _and not know Lucas. He just hoped these people didn't know how well he knew the kid.

"Yeah." He held his breath as he waited for what was coming next.

"How well?"

Ben's heart sunk as he got the feeling Jacobs already knew the answer to that question. He decided his previous strategy of mostly telling the truth was the best way to go.

"Very well. He was my friend."

"_Was_?"

"Well I didn't exactly leave the _seaQuest _on speaking terms with him."

Jacobs nodded thoughtfully but didn't speak for a minute or two. To Ben it seemed to stretch into hours. _Where was this going?_

Jacobs looked at Ben as though sizing up his answer.

"That will make things a bit easier for you then."

_Easier to do what?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey Teresa….the 007 image – hmmm … the name's Wolenczak …. Lucas Wolenczak! Doesn't quite have the same ring to it but he would have looked cute in a tux.**

**Hi Lerrinus - glad you liked the dig at sci-fi writers. I couldn't resist, having just sat through a really woeful movie – why do they think special effects can cover an appalling plot? And they get paid!**

**Now I know I said suggestions were welcome so I only have myself to blame here. I started this story with only parts of it clearly outlined. I've tried to incorporate some of your ideas so now I've gone way off track to where I was originally going. So if you're confused it's all your own fault! It has nothing to do with a bottle of Baileys….but I did originally promise Joxer I wouldn't hurt Ben cos she might cry and now I find that he's gone and done something stupid. It wasn't my fault at all … honest! You know how he is … silly boy … just blame the reviewers … they did it!**

**And lastly to those of you who asked me to write faster – my kids complain if I don't feed them occasionally :-) but at least you got a longer chapter this time. So enjoy …**

**Chapter Nine**

Ben sat in the back of the maintenance truck and stared at the floor as it slowly rolled across the dock. He glanced up once at Jacobs and tried to keep the fear off his face. He really didn't like the way the conversation had gone last night. He had replayed it over and over during the night trying to work out if Jacobs was his ally or not. Was he trying to let Krieg know he was really Section Seven?

"So you and the Wolenczak kid were pretty tight I gather." He didn't wait for Ben to answer before continuing. "Then you'll have no problem retrieving something from him."

Ben began to wonder if he was being set up here. Jacobs' tone of voice made him think they may have worked things out and this was all about trying to trip him up. Then again he knew Section Seven had an operative here in this crew and maybe that was how he knew that he was close to Lucas.

_"But it couldn't be Jacobs could it?"_

He had about three seconds to decide which way to jump before Jacobs starting talking again.

"About six months ago we tried to get a hold of a new computer program your young genius had designed. It would have been put to good use …" he smirked at Ben as he spoke "… but he was too stupid to realise the _offer_ is only made _once_."

Ben's blood ran cold at the implied threat in the man's words.

"Now we _know_ he still has it but the UEO has been too gutless to use it themselves. Once we have the _seaQuest _we're gonna need that program and you're the best placed person to get it."

Ben absently scratched at his beard and decided it would be the first thing to go once he got out of here. He wondered just how he was supposed to find anything in Lucas' quarters let alone in his computer. It wasn't as though it would just be labeled for him. He knew how much Lucas had struggled with whether or not to keep the program. The very fact the UEO hadn't put it to work after so long showed just how difficult the decision was.

The one thing that kept going through his mind was that Bridger would have made sure Lucas was as far away from the _seaQuest _as possible. Ben had no idea how strained things were between them but he knew that the captain would have removed Lucas somehow.

The truck came to a rumbling halt and the men inside began to climb out of the back. They each wore the same coveralls that showed them to be a UEO maintenance crew. The ID tags clipped to their collars were all authentic issue. After all, they were considered impossible to forge so Ben knew that was one more link in the conspiracy chain. Someone on the inside had obtained them for Jacobs and his team.

Ben stood up slowly and stretched his leg. Wearing the brace had almost become second nature but it always bothered him when he first stood up. Actually the beard would be the _second_ thing to go when he got out.

As he had been instructed, Ben moved into the middle of the group. He was the only one of the team of eight that could possibly be recognised. He tried to relax and join in the banter as the group headed down the dock towards the _seaQuest. _He could see the guards on duty but from a distance he couldn't pick out who it was. He hoped it wasn't someone he knew well

"So are you goin' to the game on Saturday?"

Ben realised someone was speaking to him and he turned to look at the blonde he had earlier named Sven. It turned out he was from New Jersey and had no Nordic ancestry at all. He had the much more ordinary name of Craig but to Ben he would still be Sven.

"Are you kidding? Wouldn't miss it for anything!"

If the idea was to appear as normal as possible then discussing the coming football game was about as normal as they could get. They continued the passionate discussion of the pros and cons of the two teams as they approached the security officers. Ben felt relieved as he saw that neither of them were officers he recognised. He hoped that had been Bridger's doing to post them today. He had a better chance of slipping past without a problem.

The one nearest him checked his ID tag and scanned it through the system. "Douglas Jackson" walked through the checkpoint without a backwards glance. He continued on talking about the statistics of the last season and tried to resist looking back over his shoulder.

He had done this walk countless times but never like this. Returning from shoreleave was always that bittersweet mix of knowing the fun was over while feeling happy to be coming home. This was so different. This time _home_ felt like it was the lions' den and he wondered just who was going to get eaten.

* * *

Bridger sat at the desk in his quarters and looked absently at the pages spread out before him. He knew the clock was ticking down, he just didn't know how far away zero was. He pushed away from the desk and stood up. Ford had notified him the first maintenance crew had arrived half an hour ago but so far there had been no sign of anything suspicious.

He walked across to his bunk and picked up the book that was lying on the shelf above it. Inside the front cover was a white envelope. As he turned it over in his hands he wondered if it would ever be delivered. He hoped he'd get to tear it up. He could only guess at what was coming and there was no guarantee who would walk away from it. If it all went to pieces then he wanted Lucas to know the truth. If it all turned out all right then he could tell him face to face. Either way he couldn't bear the thought that Lucas may have actually meant the things he had said.

He glanced up as Darwin slowly cruised past in the aquatube. Things had even been strained with him lately. Funny how a dolphin and a teenager could both pout in the same way. The captain sighed as he watched Darwin disappear into the shadows.

_"How many relationships do I have to put back together after this is done?"_

* * *

Lucas awoke feeling stiff and sore. Sleeping on the floor had never been a good idea in his books but catching a few hours of sleep inside an access tube was the only safe option he could think of. Darwin had delivered him safely into the belly of the _seaQuest _the night before. It had taken a bit of work to pry an access panel off the roof of the aquatube. If the submarine had been at sea he wouldn't have been able to as all the external tubes were pressurised. Fortunately they didn't need to be with the _seaQuest _in the dock.

Lucas had learned from the last time he had been holed up in these tunnels and he pulled his bag over to see what was for breakfast. The last time he ended up seriously dehydrated from lack of water but this time he had enough to last a few days. He reasoned this would all be over in that time. One way or the other.

As he chewed on a dried fruit bar he flicked through his laptop to check the security cameras. Only the bare minimum of personnel was still on board. Katie was on the bridge looking for all the world as though it was just another day. Lucas switched over to the shuttle bay just in time to see several men in coveralls heading out the door. There was something strange in the image though and it took a few seconds to register why.

Suddenly he realised the last one had a mask over his head_. An oxygen mask! _Lucas scrambled back over to the bag and pulled out his rebreather. He didn't know how much he had left in it but didn't waste time checking as he spat out the chewy fruit bar and fitted it into his mouth. He looked back at the security footage of the bridge in time to see the few people there drop to the floor. There was something in the ventilation system!

He frantically flipped back and forth between various cameras trying to see where the men had gone. He pulled up footage from one of the corridors leading to the crew quarters and saw three men wearing oxygen masks running through. Where did the others get to?

* * *

Ben ran through the corridors towards the captain's cabin, hoping to God he wasn't there. He knew there was no point trying to take these guys on a wild goose chase because Jacobs already had the basic layout of the _seaQuest. _Presumably from when Edwards and Anderson had been on board. He knew that Jacobs needed Bridger alive to get them out of the dock but he still hoped that luck might be on his side.

As they ran around the corner Ben nearly fell over a body lying on the floor. Ford! As he stopped suddenly, the man behind him nearly ran into him.

"Well, well. What _do _we have here?" Larkens viscously kicked at the body with his boot and Ford rolled over to reveal his face. He leaned over to read the ID on his uniform. "_Commander _J. Ford. Hmm, isn't he the one who got you thrown out, Krieg?"

Ben just nodded while glaring at the unconscious man before him. Before he knew what was happening Larkens had pointed his rifle at Jonathan's head.

"Then this is one less UEO officer we'll need to deal with isn't it?"

Ben reacted on instinct and launched himself at Larkens. In the back of his mind he figured it was probably hopeless anyway as it would be two against one but he couldn't stand back and do nothing while this mercenary murdered his friend.

As the two of them hit the floor Ben rolled to one side and tried to regain his feet before Larkens could come back at him. Suddenly he heard three shots fired off in rapid succession and saw Larkens fall to the floor in front of him. Expecting to be next he turned to face "Sven". The big blonde grinned at him.

"Well I guess that's one less moron we have to deal with isn't it, Lieutenant?"

Ben stared at him as realisation slowly dawned.

"You! You're the one from Section Seven?" he almost whispered.

"Welcome to the team. No time for anything further now. I'll get this guy out of sight and you better get your friend somewhere he can wake up safely."

Ben just shook his head as he dragged Ford across the corridor and into one of the crew's quarters. His relief was short lived as the radio crackled to life. Jacobs voice rang out to his men.

"All right, you all know the drill. Secure any personnel you come across. The captain is on the bridge and once he wakes up we'll be able to get underway."

Lucas had watched the drama unfold on the security link and he still couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had to get a hold of Ben somehow and let him know he was there to help. He was trying to work out from the screen which room Ben had dragged Ford into but the picture was so small. As he zoomed in on the open hatch he could just make out a number.

He leaned back over to the open comm hatch beside him and quickly patched the laptop into that room number.

"Ben. Can you hear me?"

Ben stood bolt upright. "_I'm hearing things!"_

"Lucas?"

"Ben, it's me. I'm in Engineering. I can see you on the security cameras."

"Lucas! What the hell are you still doing here?"

Lucas felt stung by the anger in Ben's voice but then realised it was only because he was caught off guard.

"I wasn't going to head off for shore leave knowing what was going to happen here. They want the _seaQuest _and my program, Ben! I came back to destroy it."

"And have you?

Before he could answer Craig came through the door, trying to work out who Krieg was talking to. Ben held up a hand to wave off any questions as he waited for Lucas' answer.

"I can't get to it. I deleted it out of the mainframe and the discs are hidden." He had just seen the other guy help Ben but he still wasn't ready to trust him with the whereabouts of his information "I have to get in and destroy them. My research is in there too. Ben, it all has to be destroyed!"

The urgency in Lucas' voice made Ben want to head straight to him.

"We're coming to get you Lucas."

"No, we can't," said Craig. "Jacobs is expecting us on the bridge. There are people up there who are still in danger. He's crazy enough to start shooting them for the fun of it."

"Ben these people _have_ to be stopped. You know how deep this runs. These people are prepared to do _anything_ to achieve their goals. They are panning to overthrow the UEO. If they get a hold of the _seaQuest _and my program then …" He struggled to find the words to explain.

"Then what?"

"Then God help us all," Lucas whispered. "Ben, we can't let them win. Countless innocent people will die. If all else fails I can arm the self destruct from my laptop."

_"If this guy isn't all he seems to be there's no harm having him know we'll blow the boat!"_

"Just how do you plan to get off the _seaQuest _in time?"

Lucas sucked his lower lip before answering in carefully measured words.

"If it really comes down to using it … then maybe we don't."

Ben stared at the floor. He knew what the kid was saying but his mind just wouldn't accept it.

"Lucas, it's not going to come to that."

"You don't know that for sure Ben."

Krieg waited a minute before asking, "Do you really know what you're agreeing to?"

Lucas' voice came back at him with a slight waiver in it.

"Yes. If we run out of options then one of us has to hit the self destruct. No backing out!"

"No backing out," Ben nodded slowly as he reluctantly agreed to Lucas' plan. "Then let's find some better options. Tell me exactly where you are. I'm coming to get you."

* * *

Krieg slowly moved down the corridor with Lucas right behind him. They both carried pulse rifles although Lucas had eyed his uncertainly when Krieg placed it in his hands.

_Point and shoot._ That was what he said. _All you have to do is point and shoot._

Before they could make it around the next corner the sound of gunfire erupted ahead. As Ben motioned for Lucas to get back to the nearest doorway, the entry to the moonpool, he was almost bowled over as Miguel came hurtling around the corner. He skidded to a stop as he thought he had been ambushed from behind but grinned as he recognised his friends.

"Go! Go!" Ben waved Lucas back into the doorway but Ortiz belatedly realised the moonpool was a dead end room. If they went that way they would be trapped. The sound of running could be heard behind them as the two gunmen moved up to capture their prey.

Ortiz bolted across the open space heading for the opposite hatch as Krieg fired randomly in the direction of their attackers. He made it half way before they opened fire again and he was forced to dive through the open hatch. Lucas gasped as he thought Miguel had been hit by the crossfire. A moment later he appeared in the other doorway. Ben motioned for Lucas to go while he could but he hesitated. The distance across to Miguel seemed enormous and the two men continued to fire at them from behind the bulkheads. A haze of smoke filled the air from the pulse rifles and it burned in their throats. Ben leaned back towards Lucas and tried to help him get past the fear.

"Lucas, Miguel is waiting over there for you. I'll cover you from here but you have to get to him. I _know_ you can do it."

Lucas nodded, sucked in a breath and stood up to make the run. As he did so a small object rolled down the floor towards him. Miguel screamed a warning from the other hatch but it came too late.

"Luuucaaas! Get baaaack!"

The grenade was only small but it packed a powerful punch. Ben had seen it from his crouched position and he stretched up to push Lucas back through the doorway. He was too late. Suddenly it seemed the whole world crashed down on them both.

Ben was thrown backwards across the room until he hit the rim of the moonpool. His ears were still ringing from the blast and he couldn't hear anything else. He certainly didn't hear the two men who ran into the room. Flames licked at the edge of the debris before him and acrid smoke wafted across the room. Part of the ceiling had collapsed onto the floor and he could make out a leg underneath it. His mind reeled in shock as he realised it was Lucas.

He started back towards him but one of the men caught the movement and raised a pulse rifle at him. The man was shouting something at him but Ben couldn't make out the words. The meaning in his actions was crystal clear though as he waved the rifle menacingly towards him. On instinct he began to back up until he hit the moonpool again.

The man continued to call out to him but Ben wasn't listening. His mind was in shock and without thinking he rolled over the edge and into the water. He never noticed the blood in the water all around him as he began to frantically kick away from these madmen.

They had murdered Lucas and possibly Ortiz and now they were coming after him. The only thought in his mind was to get out of reach. The water sizzled around him as they fired wildly after him but he managed to duck into the aqua tube before anything made contact.

One of the two started to climb up the side of the pool when the other one called him back.

"Don't bother. See the blood – he's gone anyway. We don't have time to chase down a dead man. Now where did the other two get to?"


	10. Chapter 10

**OK: **

**fed the kids real food – check**

**spoken to husband at least once today– check**

**been to work – check**

**done the laundry – check**

**watered the vegies – check**

**ironing – nah**

**cleaned the bathroom – double nah (I think something's alive in there)**

**hugged the cat - check**

**continued writing story – now you're talking!**

**beat up Ben some more – wasn't me (I have forwarded certain reviewers names onto Joxer to be dealt with ….)**

**Chapter Ten**

Jonathan woke up on the floor of somebody's cabin with a throbbing headache. As he slowly sat up he rubbed at his temples while trying to work out how he had come to be where he was. A few feminine looking personal items were lined up on the small shelf above the bunk.

_"Whose quarters am I in?"_

He shook his head to clear the fog before standing up. Nothing about the room looked familiar. As he stepped closer to the desk he caught sight of a photo of a young couple.

"Lieutenant Dawson? What the hell?"

Slowly the pieces began to fall into place and Ford realised the last thing he remembered was running through the corridor near the lower crew quarters before…. before _what? _That truly was the last thing he remembered.

_"Did someone knock me out?"_

He frowned in frustration as he checked his head for any sign of injury. There were no obvious lumps or bleeding.

_"But why would they drag me in here if that was what happened?"_

He decided that answers would have to wait. As he glanced at his watch he realised he'd only been out for a while. He looked around the room for anything useful and noticed for the first time he still had a sidearm concealed under his shirt.

_"Why would they leave that?"_

This whole scenario was getting stranger by the minute. Something definitely didn't add up. Surely whoever it was would have taken his weapon. At that point he realised whoever had dragged him in there was probably friendly. But why? And where were they now?

_"Then let's see who else is still loose on this tub."_

He checked the corridor outside and silently slipped out; his weapon pulled tight to his chest.

* * *

Lucas tried to move but he was pinned down. He couldn't really see in the dim light but he felt around him as far as he could with his hands. He could make out the feel of metal with something else connected to it. As he tentatively ran his hand down its length he realised it was a shelving unit. The blast must have thrown it to the floor. The shelves weren't very deep but they were enough to act as a brace when the section of ceiling came crashing down. One of the shelves dug into his side uncomfortably. His nose was only an inch or so from the ceiling panel and he knew that without the shelves he would probably have been crushed.

He mentally ran the checklist to make sure everything was still attached and in one piece. Having decided he was in pretty good shape, considering, he tried to pry the panel off himself. Since he couldn't raise his arms very far he couldn't get much leverage and the panel refused to budge. He tried again by raising his knees as far as he could but still it wasn't enough.

The burning smell in the air filled his mouth and his eyes stung from the smoke and dust. He tried to call out to Ben or Miguel but couldn't speak without starting to cough. He hadn't heard either of them and he tried not to think about the possibilities of what had happened to them. Ben had pushed him back through the hatch as the grenade exploded. Was he buried somewhere under here too?

"Ben," he croaked through the dust. "Miguel, can you hear me?"

He strained to hear a response but nothing came. Gradually he became aware of noises behind him. Someone was moving the fallen debris.

_"Ben?"_

"Hey! I'm stuck. Under here."

He tried again to budge the ceiling panel with renewed energy. They were all right and coming to get him out.

* * *

As Ben fell back into the water he was completely oblivious to the blood all around him. His mind had switched onto autopilot but his body seemed to be numb. As he kicked away under the water his legs felt as though they belonged to someone else. He was vaguely aware of a burning sensation in his side but was more concerned with getting far enough into the aquatubes to be able to safely come up for air.

As he checked behind him the water seemed to have settled down. They had stopped firing at least. He pulled himself up against the wall of the tube and gulped in a mouthful of air. As he did so a wave of nausea threatened to overcome him. There wasn't much to grab a hold of but he hooked his hand over a conduit and tried to slow his breathing down.

* * *

"He's coming round!" a voice yelled out. It seemed far too loud in the small space and it made his head ache. He opened his eyes to see two strange faces leaning over him.

"It's about time. Get him up!"

Bridger felt himself being pulled upright but the sudden change sent his head into a spin. The thump of a killer headache made him grab his forehead. Whoever was behind him wasn't showing any sympathy as they roughly pulled at his shirt.

"On yer feet!"

The captain angrily shrugged off the hand behind him and forced himself to stand up straight. As he did so he glanced around the bridge trying to take in who else from his crew was there. Hitchcock had obviously fallen to the floor near the navigation console as she was now handcuffed to it. She seemed to be coming around but was still not fully awake.

Bridger caught a glimpse of another two uniforms across the room but couldn't see who it was. Both were very still and he hoped that wasn't because they had put up any resistance.

A man who looked to be in his early fifties stood in front of him. He had an air of authority about him and Bridger noted the cruel set of his mouth. This wasn't someone to underestimate he quickly decided.

"So who the hell are _you_? And what have you done to my people?"

Jacobs casually stroked his chin as he sized up the man in front of him. He had heard of Captain Nathan Bridger. Most people who lived under UEO jurisdiction had heard of him because everyone knew the _seaQuest. _He figured some of the stories circulating had been exaggerated as they traveled but as he looked into the man's eyes he knew most of them were probably true. What he was counting on most was his compassion for his crew. This wasn't a man who pushed his people to the limit. This was a captain who valued his people. And Jacobs knew that would be his undoing.

* * *

Lucas could hear the muffled sound of male voices but couldn't make out the words. He presumed it was his friends and called out again. It was only a couple of minutes before he felt the panel being pulled back off his upper body. He coughed as a cloud of dust settled back over him and as he opened his eyes he was shocked to see a rifle muzzle in his face. Since his legs were still pinned down there was no escaping it.

He tried to look away from the rifle and see the face beyond it but his eyes kept being drawn back to it as it waved before his nose. He heard a harsh laugh before one of the men spoke up.

"Well Jacobs is sure gonna be pleased with this little find."

Lucas felt his heart rate rising as he swallowed down the lump in his throat and tried to speak. Before he could say anything the man started to speak again.

"You will …" was all he got out. Several rapid shots rang out across the room and he fell to the floor. Before he had time to really react his comrade had also been shot down. Lucas pulled himself up as far as he could and looked across the room to see Miguel crouched in the doorway. He grinned with relief to see his friend was all right.

"Thanks," he said as he tried to pull his legs out from under the pile of rubble. Miguel hurried over and dragged the first body over to the side out of sight before coming back for the second one. He was covered in dust himself and blood trickled down over his right eye.

"Are you OK?"

"I will be once I get outta here," said Lucas as he pulled his other foot free and tentatively stood up. He wobbled slightly and Miguel turned him around and checked for any sign of injury.

Lucas frowned as he realised Miguel was bleeding.

"How's your head?"

Miguel reached up and touched the bloody gash across his forehead. It was as though he hadn't noticed it before.

"I'll live, but we need to get out of here. Someone will have heard that and they'll be on their way here. Where's Krieg?"

They both looked around and it didn't take long for Ortiz to spot the blood on the side of the moonpool. Lucas followed his gaze and froze as he saw it too. Neither said what they were thinking. There was an awful lot of blood there. Suddenly Miguel spun around and raised his rifle in a defensive pose.

"Don't shoot! It's me!" Ford raised his hand in the air as he paused in the doorway. Ortiz lowered his rifle, relieved to see at least one more person who was still on the loose.

Ford picked his way through the debris while all the while staring at the teenager in front of him.

"Lucas? What are you … I mean … how did you get here? Bridger put you on a shuttle."

He looked back and forth between them, waiting for an answer and he noted the blood on Miguel's face.

"Are you both all right?"

Miguel nodded while Lucas just stared back at him. He looked as though he was about to speak but then closed his mouth. For the last month he had given this man so much unwarranted grief and now didn't seem to be the time to try to apologise. All he could manage was to nod his head before he also turned back to the moonpool. Ford followed his gaze and saw the blood.

"Whose it that?" he demanded.

Miguel looked back at him. "We think it's Ben's."

_Well that would certainly explain the look on Lucas' face._

* * *

After trying to swim further up the aquatube, Ben realised he had no idea how to get out of there. He was struggling to keep going and he decided the best course would be to go back the way he had come. It seemed unlikely his attackers would still be in the moonpool room.

The initial shock was wearing off and the pain in his side was getting worse. There was blood all around him in the water but he couldn't get a look at his injury. He knew if it was still bleeding so much it couldn't be good. As he gingerly ran his fingers down his side he touched something that triggered a wave of intense pain. He nearly screamed as it hit him but he gritted his teeth as he held onto the conduit and waited for it to subside. All he could make out was a piece of shrapnel from the blast was still embedded in his side.

As he clung to the thin conduit trying to muster the energy to swim back, he felt a gentle nudge in his back. He almost laughed with relief as he saw Darwin move up beside him.

"Man, am I glad to see you!"

He slowly reached out with one hand and grabbed hold of the dolphin's dorsal fin and let go of the conduit with the other. Darwin moved slowly down the aquatube, carrying his injured passenger as gently as possible.

As they reached the edge of the moonpool Darwin slowed right down and eased him up against the side. Ben couldn't hear anyone in the room but he figured he had no real choice about getting out. He had to stop the blood loss or he knew he was soon going to bleed to death.

Ben grabbed a hold of the rim of the pool and tried to pull himself up. Fortunately the pool wasn't too deep and he could touch the bottom. As he began to pull himself over the edge Darwin leaned against his legs as though to steady him. Ben was thankful he'd taken the leg brace off at the first opportunity otherwise this would be that much harder.

Finally with one almighty effort he hauled himself over the side and slid onto the floor. The puddle of water surrounding him was tinged red with blood. He lay on his back on the floor for a few minutes trying to stop his head from spinning.

Finally he pulled himself into a sitting position and lifted up his shirt. For the first time he could see just how serious his injury was and he screwed up his face at the sight of it. A piece of twisted metal protruded from his abdomen. Blood was still flowing freely from the wound. Various other cuts were also bleeding but not like this one.

_"Well that can't stay there!"_

He glanced around the room trying to decide how he was going to deal with it. As he looked towards the door he cringed at the sight of the collapsed ceiling.

_"I hope it was quick."_

He couldn't bear the thought that Lucas had suffered under there but then he suddenly noticed he couldn't see any sign of his body. Without thinking who may still be nearby he called out.

"Lucas!… _Miguel! _"

For the first time he began to hope that maybe Lucas wasn't dead after all. Maybe Ortiz had come back and gotten him out. So they could both be alive! The idea spurred him on to get moving again. He just had one small problem to deal with first.

Ben pulled himself to his feet and leaned against the moonpool to steady himself. He noticed a pile of towels lying on the floor to one side of the pool. The top one was covered in a layer of dust but he dug down and pulled one out that seemed clean enough. That would have to do for a bandage. Now he needed something to keep it in place. He slowly moved over to the far side of the pool to a set of shelves. Various pieces of equipment and tool boxes had been lined up neatly. Now they were all slightly skewed but still mostly intact.

He rummaged through until he found what he was looking for and then gently sat back down against the wall. First he took off his belt and laid it on the floor beside him. Next he took the towel and hacked it into strips with a pair of scissors. He tried to ignore the pain by focussing on the job in front of him but every so often he had to stop and take a deep breath. He folded two pieces in half and laid them across his lap. He twisted another piece and wedged it between his teeth.

Lastly he picked up the pliers and pulled back his shirt to reveal the jagged piece of metal. His heart was pounding as he tried to judge the angle of entry. He reasoned he was only going to get one shot at getting it out and he wanted it to be as quick and clean as possible.

He sucked in a deep breath through his nostrils, bit down on the piece of towel and grabbed hold of the metal with the pliers. It was all he could do to stop from screaming as he pulled it out but the towel did its job. His vision blurred over and his head swam with the pain of it. Somehow the self-preservation instinct kicked in and he managed to press a piece of towel down over the wound. His hand was slick with blood and he came close to passing out.

Ben sat slumped against the wall for what seemed like an eternity before he was finally able to move a little. As he looked down at the towel he could see it was soaked through with blood. He reached down and picked up the second piece and as quickly as he could he pulled one away and put a fresh one in its place. He picked up his belt with one hand and laid the buckle over the towel while still holding it against the wound.

Trying not to twist, he slid the belt around his waist and looped the end through the buckle. As he pulled it tight he bit down on the rag in his mouth. Sweat ran down his face as he struggled to hold it together. Finally he had it in place and he sagged back against the wall, spat out the cloth in his mouth and closed his eyes. All he wanted to do now was sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thankyou to everyone who's reviewed. You guys are awesome.**

**I've borrowed some lines from actual episodes here to reflect Ben's state of mind. Don't bother suing me cos I don't own anything. Especially since it's school holidays and the locust plague has been through my home over the last week!**

**Chapter Eleven**

As Katie tried to open her eyes and sit up she couldn't believe the pounding in her head. She sat still and waited to see if it passed but it only lessened slightly. The feeling of disorientation eventually eased and she realised she was sitting on the floor next to the navigation console. Someone had handcuffed one hand to the underside of the console. She tugged on it but it wasn't going anywhere.

Across the room she could see Tim was also coming round and he looked just as dazed as she felt. Whatever it was that had been used to knock them all out it had some nasty side effects. Crocker still hadn't moved and she wondered if he had been hit, or worse. She could see that both of them were handcuffed just as she was. She finally made eye contact with Tim and he nodded at her to indicate he was al lright. He was closer to Crocker and he leaned over to check on him. As he gave him a gentle shake he was rewarded with a low moan. Katie let out a relieved breath before turning her attention back to the captain.

Not far from her she could see Captain Bridger with several men she'd never seen before. Even before she heard the words she knew what was going on. A tall bald man stood behind the captain with a rifle pointed at his back. Even though they had all known this was coming it didn't make it any easier to witness. The only comfort she could draw from it was the knowledge Ben was now somewhere back aboard the _seaQuest._

When Jonathan first came and filled her in it had taken all her training to make her bite her tongue. She knew she had no claim on Ben anymore and he could do what he liked but all the same, she wondered, _how_ could he have said yes to _this_?

_When I get my hands on him I'll…._

All the old familiar feelings surfaced. Anger and frustration that he could be so reckless. Anxiety at the unknown factor of where he had been and what he had been doing. But then why did she care so much? That thought just made her angrier. There didn't seem to be any way to actually free herself from a man who drove her completely nuts!

What was that old saying? Can't live with them, can't live without them? Well she had tried living with him and that definitely didn't work. As she sat on the floor and observed the exchange going on before her, Katie shivered as the thought briefly crossed her mind of trying to live without him - a world without Ben. She angrily pushed it to the back of her mind and strained to hear what was being said.

"Well the way I see it, Captain, you don't have a whole lot of choice."

Bridger just glared at him but he knew he was only forestalling the inevitable.

"We need your authorisation code to get us out of the dock."

"Don't you think someone will think it strange that the _seaQuest_ is leaving so soon? We're scheduled to be here for three weeks."

Jacobs just smiled at him. "That's where a little inside help comes in handy. You see the _seaQuest _is actually now scheduled for some propulsion system tests and they can't be done in the dock, now can they?"

As Katie watched, a large blonde man came striding onto the bridge and walked straight up to his leader. Whoever he was he was important enough to draw the man away from his interrogation of the captain. As they spoke quietly off to one side Katie could see his face getting angrier.

_"Something's gone wrong." _She smiled to herself. "_One point to us!"_

Bridger could just make out snatches of the conversation but he heard enough. Ben was here and someone called Larkens was dead. Apparently a member of his crew had shot him. The captain wondered who it was but it didn't really matter – someone was still loose and they were armed. He thought he heard Ford's name but couldn't be sure. As he strained to hear the end of the exchange he heard Krieg's name again but couldn't make out anything else. So where was he now if he wasn't still with this guy?

Jacobs waved the other man aside and moved up to the console again. His face showed his frustration.

Jacobs gestured towards the communication console. "Your code … now! Unless of course you think your young lady over there would look better with a hole through her head? Just like your executive officer."

"_What?_" Bridger stared at him hoping this was just a bluff but the look on his face suggested he was entirely serious. His stomach clenched in a knot.

"I'd say we're even, Captain. Your man took out one of my men. We just settled the score. Now unless you'd like to lose another officer I suggest you hurry up with that code."

Bridger quickly moved up to the console. This man clearly had a sadistic streak and the captain wasn't taking any chances. Hitchcock sagged back against the wall and tried to hold her emotions in check. Jonathan was dead and pretty soon they'd be at sea before anyone knew anything was amiss. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

* * *

Lucas followed Ford down the corridors towards the captain's quarters. He tried not to think about how he had been doing the exact same thing not long ago but then he was following Ben. And now he had no idea where Ben was. Suddenly the commander stopped dead in front of him.

"We're moving."

Lucas looked at the floor but he couldn't tell.

"What? Are you sure?"

Ford just nodded. "Trust me, we're moving. They must have the captain on the bridge. Come on, we need to hurry."

As Ford set off again Lucas fell in behind him. His mind was buzzing with the thought that these people had succeeded in getting control of the _seaQuest. _It renewed his resolve to stop them getting to his program.

As much as he tried not to, his mind kept going back to the image of blood down the side of the moonpool. He knew that it could only be Ben's. Of the five people around that room when the grenade exploded, Ben was the only one unaccounted for. Ford had sent Ortiz off to the nearest junction in the aquatubes to see if Ben had shown up there. Lucas desperately wanted to be going that way too but he knew he still had a job to do.

It had seemed such a great idea at the time. A remote access program for places where people couldn't directly connect with their system. Places like the deepest ocean trenches where even the _seaQuest_ couldn't reach the bottom. Countless probes had disappeared into the abyss over the years as they reached the limit of their programming connections. Many more had flown off into the depths of space, never to be seen or heard from again. They simply stopped transmitting; not because they had gone too far but because they weren't getting any more instructions on what to do.

His fascination with exploring the unknown combined with his drive to push the boundaries had led Lucas in a whole new direction. Borrowing from his own nanite research he had designed a "smart" program that could learn and grow but it could also lie dormant until activated by the programmer or on a predetermined timetable. Theoretically it could be embedded into any system, absorbing the data, adapting to the environment and then coming on line when needed. Artificial intelligence was one area of technology where scientists had still only scratched the surface and Lucas' program was revolutionary in its thinking.

In his enthusiasm he hadn't really taken into account what it could do in the wrong hands. With the right codes it could be used to remotely access restricted areas and rewrite computer codes without anyone even knowing it was being done. Until it was too late. The perfect sabotage tool. With the _seaQuest _they wouldn't even be challenged as they came into range as it would all seem legitimate. Lucas knew these people could effectively hack into anything and disable ships, destroy defences, even collapse world markets overnight. They could hold the UEO to ransom. And that's exactly what they were trying to do now.

Before Lucas realised it they had arrived at the door to the captain's quarters. Ford led the way inside and quickly shut the door behind them.

"How exactly are you planning on getting into Bridger's safe? And you better not tell me you know the combination!" Ford shook a finger in mock accusation. The truth was he wouldn't have been surprised if Lucas said he did.

"Actually, I don't need to get into the safe." Ford stood watch near the door as Lucas headed for the captain's bookshelf.

"Wouldn't it be in the safe since it's so important?"

Lucas smiled before answering. "Isn't that the first place you'd look?"

Ford looked sideways at him while keeping an eye on the door. "Uh, I guess so."

"Which is exactly why it isn't there," Lucas grinned as he searched through the book spines.

"Well wherever it is will you hurry up and get it so we can get out of here."

Lucas pulled a worn dark green book from the shelf and flipped it open. He ran his fingernail down the edge of the back cover and eased apart the thin sheets of paper. Underneath it lay eight small data disks. He sucked in his breath as he contemplated what he was about to do. So much hard work had gone into creating it and now he was about to destroy it all.

As he pulled each one out he snapped it between his fingers. When all eight lay in pieces in his hand he walked over to the captain's desk. He dropped the pieces on the desk and turned back towards the bunk. He knew that Bridger kept things of sentimental value on the small shelf above it and somewhere up there would be his great grandfather's hand carved pipe and flint box. He felt along the shelf with his fingers and accidentally dislodged a book that was tucked up behind everything.

He reached down to pick it up off the bunk. A white envelope was sticking out from the front cover so he pushed it back in and laid the book back up on the shelf.

While he was waiting, Ford pulled out his PAL and tried to contact Ortiz. This would test whether Katie had had enough time to get her comm system in place. He nodded as Miguel's voice came back to him but he frowned at the report.

"There's no sign of him here, Commander."

"All right, meet us back at the moonpool. We'll see if Darwin's around." He didn't know how else they were going to find Ben but he'd worry about that when he had to.

"On my way, Sir. I'll be … hold on …" His voice was cut off by the sound of gunfire.

"Ortiz? … _Miguel?"_ He looked anxiously at the PAL waiting for Ortiz to respond again. "_C'mon Miguel, answer me."_

Lucas had heard the exchange and refused to make eye contact with Ford. Instead he continued to run his hand along the shelf until he felt the small metal flint box. He knew it was an antique but he figured Bridger wouldn't mind him using it.

"Hurry it up, Lucas. We need to get out of here."

"Coming, I just need to make sure this is totally beyond salvage." He had arranged a pile of screwed up paper on a small tray and was trying to get the flint striker to work. It was harder than it looked but eventually he got enough of a spark to ignite the paper. As it flared up he fed the small pieces of disk into it. They sizzled and melted into a lump on the bottom of the tray. Lucas stared at it for a moment and then nodded.

"OK, now we just need to get my research."

"And where might that be hiding?" Ford asked impatiently.

Lucas didn't answer immediately. Instead he walked around the desk, bent down behind it and began to pull at the cover of the air vent. It didn't take long to work the cover off and he squeezed in to the small space. It was a tight fit but he crawled around the bend and the duct opened out a little further in. As he crawled along he heard a voice behind him. He was just about to answer when he realised it wasn't Ford.

Was Miguel back already? Lucas began to back up when he heard Commander Ford's angry voice. He froze where he was and listened for what was being said. Someone else was in the room but it obviously wasn't Miguel. He sat silently for several minutes before realising the voices had stopped.

* * *

"_Excuse me, Gilligan to Skipper, but are you planning on staying out here any longer than we are?"_

_"Listen, knock it off, Krieg, you're a lieutenant in the UEO navy and I need you to act like one. Look, anything's possible, we prepare for anything."_

_Ben sat in the life raft and shook his head in amusement at his commanding officer. Sometimes he wondered just what Ford had been like as a child._ _Probably had his toybox sorted by colour, size and amount of use left! Just the level of organisation you needed when stuck in the path of a hurricane. Speaking of which, the rain was getting heavier._

Darwin splashed water over the edge of the moonpool, knowing that Krieg was on the other side. Ben finally opened his eyes. He shook his head to try to clear the disorientation. One minute he was afloat in a life raft watching an approaching storm and the next he was sitting in soggy clothes, slumped against the moonpool.

"Ben hurt?"

The computerised voice didn't belong in a hurricane and finally Ben realised Darwin was speaking to him. He tried to answer but the voice that came out seemed like it belonged to someone else, disconnected somehow.

"Ah yeah Darwin … I've been in better shape." He smiled slightly at the understatement. He thought back to when they were stuck in the life raft and he was trying to stay positive for Lucas' sake.

" _This is who I am. "Glass half full" - that kinda thing."_

_Lucas just stared at him. "Glass half full of what, Ben? How can you just sit here and make jokes when a hurricane is about to kill us?" _

"But it didn't, did it?"

"It didn't what?"

"Nothin' Darwin. Just talking to myself."

_"That's the first sign of madness you know."_

"C'mon Krieg, get a grip." He reached down and pulled back his shirt to check the bandage underneath.

_"Maybe that wasn't such a great idea Doctor Krieg!"_

As he looked at the blood soaked towel he knew he wasn't going to get very far. Whatever he did next would probably be the last thing he'd get to do in this operation.

_"So I better make it count."_

He sat for a few minutes trying to work out the best move and finally decided he really only had one choice. If all else failed he'd promised Lucas he would hit the self destruct. That just meant he had to get to Engineering. Only one deck down.

_"I can manage that."_

He slowly pulled himself up the side of the pool and tried to steady himself. He groaned in pain but forced himself to stand upright. Darwin edged closer.

"Darwin, the captain might need you on the bridge."

"Where will you be?"

"I'm going to the batcave."

"What is a batcave?"

"A secret place. Lucas' secret place."


	12. Chapter 12

**Man I hate making up names for characters! They all sound so cliched. I just realised I had a Doctor Jacobs in my last story. Oh well….maybe this is his evil twin…separated at birth…reunited on the _seaQuest…_discovers Crocker is his long lost father….returns from the dark side… OK no more Baileys while writing!**

**I have to say a huge thankyou to Peekaboo42 for your help. You've given me lots to play with. If I get the medical details right then thank her. If I get them wrong then blame me for not listening.**

**Chapter Twelve**

Bill Noyce slowly leaned back in his chair and stared at the blank vidscreen. He had just received the call he had hoped wouldn't come. The _seaQuest _had left the dock and was heading out to sea, apparently to run propulsion system tests. The report had come through on a secure connection so there was no questioning its validity.

He slowly rubbed his hand over his mouth as he wondered just what he had gotten his friend into. He knew the _seaQuest _could only be leaving under the authorisation codes of Nathan Bridger but he wondered just what had gone wrong to make him hand it over.

The admiral leaned forward and established a new connection on the vidphone. This was a call he just didn't want to make but he knew he had no choice. The _seaQuest _had to be declared a renegade since she was no longer under the command of her captain.

* * *

Ben paused in the doorway trying to catch his breath. He was trying to get to Engineering as fast as he could but his body just wasn't keeping up with his plan. His legs felt like jelly but he wasn't ready to quit yet. He leaned back against the hatch and closed his eyes. Just for a minute. He was only vaguely aware as he slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor.

_"Just need a minute … or two."_

* * *

Jacobs strode across the bridge to the WSKR array. A dark haired man sat at the console and flicked through the images before him.

"What have you got, Gianetti?"

"All clear. Nothin' else is out there besides us."

Jacobs nodded his head. "All right then, now we need the internal security cameras. I need to know who else is still on the loose."

"I'm already on it but I'm having trouble getting them up. It's almost as if the security system has been disconnected."

"Well then reconnect it!"

"It's not that simple. I'm locked out of the controls." He continued to work at the keyboard but couldn't get access to the system

Bridger cast a sideways glance at Hitchcock and raised a questioning eyebrow at her. She shook her head slightly to indicate she wasn't responsible for the cameras. Jacobs caught the exchange and stepped over in front of Hitchcock. He crouched down in front of her and leaned in threateningly.

"You're going to get me into that camera system. Whatever you did to lock us out, you're going to undo."

"Since I was unconscious it would have been rather difficult to do anything to the security system, don't you think?"

Jacobs unlocked the handcuffs and roughly pulled her to her feet.

"Fix it! Now!" he snarled as he pushed her towards the console. As Bridger moved towards her he was pulled back by the man behind him. He angrily turned back to say something but was surprised by the look on his face.

"Easy, Captain, we want you all still alive," he whispered.

"Like my XO you mean?" Bridger glared at him.

"Alive and kicking still. Trust me."

Before Bridger had a chance to respond, Jacobs slammed his hand into the comm console. The camera system was definitely off line and he thought Hitchcock had deliberately sabotaged it. He grabbed her by the hair and aimed a rifle squarely at her head. While she flinched at the rough handling she managed to stare back at him.

"I … can't … get … in! Holding a gun to my head isn't going to change that."

Jacobs glared at her for what seemed like hours before he lowered the rifle. He grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her over to where O'Neill and Crocker were both handcuffed to the railing.

He motioned to Bridger with the rifle before tossing the handcuffs to the large blonde man before him.

"Barnes, secure them both over there." He turned back to the console. "Gianetti, you better get me those cameras up and running. I want to see who else is still aboard and where they are."

Barnes grabbed Bridger's arm and steered him across the room before pushing him to the floor next to Crocker. As he leaned in to secure the handcuffs he discreetly whispered, "Your kid is on board. He's with Krieg."

Bridger tried to keep his expression neutral but he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was this some kind of setup? He didn't know if he could trust what he was hearing. Two pieces of unbelievable information from the same source. Ford was alive still and Lucas was on board. If he accepted one he had to take the other too. He desperately wanted to know Jonathan was all right but that also meant Lucas had somehow gotten back onto a secure boat. He closed his eyes and sighed. If it was true then it didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened to the cameras. He just prayed that Krieg had the sense to stash Lucas somewhere safe.

* * *

"_Not funny! Katie, this is not funny. You know what this does to me."_

_"You mean that nausea thing, I'm sorry." The tone of her voice indicated she was anything but sorry but suddenly she got serious again. "OK, here's the drill: no lights, no power, stabilise your vessel, ascend to fifteen hundred feet, hold your position there."_

_"All right, I can do that." Suddenly the lights flickered and the radio died. "Katie?"_

"_Ben, what's going on down there?"_

_The seacrab rolled violently to one side as it was hit by something large. Ben grabbed onto the console as his stomach threatened to bring up his lunch._

Ben opened his eyes and clamped his hand over his mouth. He fought down the gagging sensation and as he finally pulled his hand away from his mouth he noted it was shaking. He tried to tell himself it was just because he was still in wet clothes.

_"I don't have time for this!"_

He rubbed his face with his sleeve and slowly pulled himself up again. The effort of doing so made him dizzy and he would have preferred just to slide back to the floor. The pain in his side was relentless and he steadied himself against the door.

_"Come on, Lieutenant _… o_ne … step … at a time."_

* * *

Jacobs paced up and down behind Gianetti. He wasn't happy with how long it was taking to get the _seaQuest _out to sea but he was running with less crew than he had planned.

"Why haven't Harrison and Sawyer checked in yet? he demanded to know.

Barnes shrugged his shoulders while concentrating on the sonar readings before him. They had cleared the channel twenty minutes ago and were picking up speed as they hit deeper water.

"Tucker! Get out there and find them. We need everybody up here if we're going to get this job done."

Barnes watched as Tucker grabbed his rifle and headed out through the clam doors. He knew they were due to rendezvous with a shuttle in another couple of hours but he hoped the _seaQuest _would be back in the right hands by then. Somehow he needed to convince Bridger he was on the level or that plan wasn't going to work.

* * *

Ben hugged the wall as he slowly made his way down to Engineering. The nausea had subsided a little but his head was still spinning. It was getting harder to see straight and it hurt to move. Damn, it hurt just to breathe! He tried to remember what Lucas had told him about where he'd hidden the laptop but his mind just wouldn't focus properly. He kept drifting off with whatever thought came to mind.

"_Have you ever known, I mean been absolutely certain, that you were gonna die?"  
_

_Miguel looked at him with a slightly skeptical face. "Are you sure you don't wanna discuss this with a priest or somethin'?"_

_"I looked out the window and I saw this … thing coming right at me. It was, it was dark, I don't know where it came from, I don't know what it was, but I just remember thinking to myself, Ben, you are about to die."_

"Damn it, Krieg! … Focus! You don't have time to die." He smiled slightly at his own joke. Katie always told him he'd be making jokes at his own funeral. Of course she hadn't meant it as a compliment. At the time she said he couldn't take anything seriously and that was why she was leaving. _You're such an idiot! You just let her go._

"OK … Lucas said he had a setup in the … in the …" He frowned as he concentrated on the memory, "in the service port." Ben looked around and tried to remember which one. He sucked in a deep breath and shakily continued around the wall.

"Number?… Number what?"

* * *

Ford raised his hands slowly and edged away from the desk hoping the bald man in front of him hadn't noticed the open air vent. It seemed initially luck was on his side as he maintained eye contact, but it didn't last long.

'Where's your friend?"

"I'm alone."

"Sure you are. I heard voices." The man noticed the open vent and nodded towards it. "What's in there?"

"An air vent."

"Very funny! Why is it open?"

"I was just about to get something out." Ford prayed Lucas could hear him and was heading further into the ducts.

"Yeah. Sure. Like you'd fit in there!" The man eyed Ford up and down while shaking his head. He waved him away from the open vent and pointed the rifle at his chest.

"You make a sound and I'll start firing in there."

Ford clenched his jaw and glared at the other man. He had no choice but to stand silently and hope Lucas wasn't coming out.

As the minutes ticked by it seemed that Lucas might have escaped but then he heard it, the squeak of rubber soles on metal as Lucas eased back down the air duct. He slid out backwards as there was no room to turn around in the narrow vent. Before he could stand up properly he felt the cold metal of a rifle muzzle at the back of his neck.

"Well, just what kind of rat do we have here?"

* * *

"So Cap, you think he's for real?" Crocker whispered. He was watching Barnes as he worked at Miguel's sonar station.

Bridger had been watching too and he slowly nodded his head.

"Maybe."

He knew there was supposed to be a Section Seven agent in this group and so far Barnes seemed to be the best candidate. He would reserve judgement for now but it was an encouraging possibility. He looked over to where O'Neill was working at his comm station with Jacobs hovering over his shoulder. Tim looked nervous but that wasn't surprising since Jacobs had already threatened him several times. Gianetti had been unable to get into the security system so finally Jacobs dragged Tim up to do the job for him.

"What's taking you so long! I thought you people were supposed to be the experts at this. You better not be stalling me here or someone's gonna pay!" he growled in Tim's ear.

"Someone has locked us out of the system. I _can't _get in there."

"Someone? Like who?"

Tim faltered under the man's crazed stare. "I … I don't know … but someone has locked out the bridge controls on the security system."

Jacobs pushed past O'Neill and pressed the shipwide comm system.

"Whoever is fooling around out there with the computers … when I find you … you're going to wish you'd never been born!"

Lucas shuddered involuntarily as the announcement came over the speakers. Ford glanced over at him as they walked down the corridor towards the bridge. "_Just what did you do?"_

"Now that wouldn't be you he's talking about would it?" The bald gorilla behind them laughed at Lucas. "Don't worry. Jacobs is a very … _forgiving _man."

* * *

Ben slowly squeezed into the service duct and found where Lucas had his laptop set up. He eased down beside it taking care not to disturb any of the cables. He looked at the patched in lines and wondered how Lucas knew what he doing. To Ben it just looked like a tangled mess.

His hands were shaking as he lifted the laptop onto his knees.

"OK, Lucas. Made it down here. Now wadda I do with it?"

His breath was coming in ragged bursts and he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes again. It was becoming a struggle to keep them open. He tried to visualise Lucas' face as he thought about what he needed to do. The instructions were floating through his head but they weren't making any sense. Ben held his breath, trying in vain to bring it under control.

Finally he opened his eyes and forced himself to focus on the small screen. He touched the icon on the screen that brought up a view of the bridge and he watched as Jacobs paced up and down behind Tim. He had forgotten to turn up the sound but the picture was pretty clear anyway. He had spent more than enough time around Jacobs to know the man was slightly deranged and probably only just keeping it together.

As Ben watched he saw Jacobs stride over towards the clam doors. Something had his attention. Or _someone_. Ben was shocked to see both Lucas and Ford being forced forward at gunpoint.

"Oh God, no," he whispered. A part of him was relieved to see Lucas had survived the explosion but seeing him this close to Jacobs scared him. Lucas had something in his hands and Jacobs had a sudden interest in it.

Bridger could see both Lucas and Ford being pushed forward. His mind was trying to process conflicting emotions at the same time. Overwhelming relief to see his first officer in one piece but utter dread at the sight of Lucas. He didn't have time to think about how he came to be there but the kid was filthy.

As the captain looked around at the rest of his crew he could see the same mix of emotion on their faces. All right, so Barnes was telling the truth.

Jacobs stood in front of Ford and slowly looked him up and down. He read the ID on his uniform and stepped back a little.

"Well you look pretty good for a corpse." Ford frowned at him, unsure of how to respond.

Jacobs turned back to look at Barnes. "I thought you said he was dead. Had a hole in his head. Doesn't look too dead to me."

"Harrison told me he shot one of them. He thought it was Ford but obviously not."

As Jacobs decided whether or not he believed the story he slowly moved over in front of Lucas. Looking down at the file in his hands he smiled at the teenager. The kind of smile that makes your skin crawl.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thankyou to everyone for your kind reviews. This story seems to have a mind of its own because it's not what I originally planned to write. I'm sure the music I listen to while I write has an influence. Maybe I shouldn't listen to U2 anymore because I've gone from 'Beautiful Day" to "Sunday, Bloody Sunday"! Poor Ben.**

**Hey Lynn, you only had to wait half an hour for an update. How's that for service? I hope you all enjoy the next bit.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

"Well, well. Just what do we have here?" Jacobs continued to smile as he looked at Lucas. "My intel said you weren't here but that's one mistake I'm willing to overlook."

Lucas tried not to squirm but it was difficult to stand still under the intense scrutiny. He had seen his friends across the room and he knew that nobody was in a position to help him if things turned nasty. Except maybe Commander Ford but right now he had a rifle aimed at the back of his head so maybe he wasn't going to be able to do much either.

A small part of Lucas held onto the hope that somehow Ben was still alive but the logical part of him had decided that his friend was dead. And most likely Miguel was too. _Because of me! _As he glanced around Lucas finally made eye contact with the captain. He was relieved to see that even though they were all handcuffed, none of them seemed to be injured.

"I did tell Krieg to collect your things but I like the personal delivery even better." Jacobs held out his hand expectantly. "So, what do you have for me?"

When Lucas didn't respond Tucker nudged him from behind with the rifle.

"I don't have _anything_ for you." Lucas stared defiantly at the man before him, hoping his knees wouldn't betray him.

The smile slid off Jacobs' face. "Don't mess with me, boy."

Lucas bristled at being called "boy" but the tone of voice was enough of a warning to make him bite down the sarcastic response that arose in his mind.

"I'm serious. I don't have anything for you. Ben must have gotten to my stuff before me because it's all gone." As he opened the file to reveal it was actually empty, Jacobs ripped it from his hands. He flipped through it before flinging it across the room in disgust. Lucas tried to stay calm but the anger coming off this man was almost physical. In reality the contents of his research file were sitting in an air duct but the mention of Ben had given him a realistic excuse. He had hoped to just stall Jacobs from getting his hands on the information but now it seemed he might be able to lead him astray completely.

Jacobs eyed up the teenager before him. Ford instinctively stepped closer to Lucas but Jacobs ignored him.

"And just where might Krieg have taken your work?"

"Well I would say to ask him that yourself but since he's most likely dead, I don't know what you're going to do!"

As Katie listened to Lucas speak she let out a gasp before clamping her hand over her mouth. Tears pricked at her eyes and suddenly it seemed as though she couldn't breathe. Bridger grabbed her free hand and wasn't surprised to feel she was shaking.

The look on Lucas' face was enough to convince Jacobs that he was sincere.

"Well it may be the long way round but it doesn't matter since we have _you._ Now right now I have the small task of getting the _seaQuest _to our rendezvous co-ordinates."

* * *

Miguel slipped silently along the corridor towards the shuttle bay. His head was throbbing and he would have liked to detour to medbay but he pushed the thought aside. He knew it was only a matter of time before someone found him again. He had already had two close shaves, one with the explosion and then a second time with the bald guy running through the crew quarters. Miguel had been trying to get back to Ford when he literally walked into the guy as he was coming out of the maglev. It was only his quick reaction that had saved him and now he knew they would be looking for him. If he could get to the shuttle bay he reasoned he could get a communications buoy away before anyone could stop him. The UEO had to know what was going on.

He finally arrived at the normally bustling shuttle bay and was surprised at how eerie it seemed. He had never seen it empty and silent before. He hurried over to the nearest console and began to call up WSKR views. Before he could do anything he needed to establish where they were. He set the sonar recall running and stepped over to another console to try to call up Communications. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a pile of coveralls lying on the floor. UEO maintenance uniforms.

_"So that was how they got on board."_

An "All Access" boarding pass and they could get anywhere aboard the _seaQuest _without being questioned.

While he was trying to access the Comm channel, Miguel noticed a warning on the WSKR array and he hurried back over to check it. He slammed his hand on the console as he saw a shuttle approaching the _seaQuest. _It had no UEO insignia and didn't seem to be taking any kind of evasive posture as it approached.

"Reinforcements!" he muttered under his breath.

* * *

Gianetti looked up from his console. At last the shuttle was within view and he had some good news to share. So far things hadn't exactly gone to plan but that was about to change.

"The shuttle is fifteen minutes out from the starboard dock."

Jacobs looked back over his shoulder and nodded. He turned his attention back to Lucas.

* * *

Ben glanced down at his watch. He had no idea how long he had been out. He rubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands but it didn't make much difference. The image in front of him was still blurry. He could see Jacobs talking to someone behind him but couldn't hear the words. It finally dawned on him to turn the sound up and he was just in time to hear Jacobs tell Lucas that a shuttle was on its way. He weighed up the numbers in his head and decided that push had finally come to shove. There didn't seem to be anybody still able to offer any resistance and now Jacobs had Lucas. Despite his plan to find better options it had come down to only one option. Destroy the _seaQuest _before Jacobs could do anything further. And do it while he still had the mental capacity to.

Ben rubbed one hand over his face and vaguely noticed the sheen of sweat on his hand. He sat on the floor with the laptop balanced on his lap as he hit the keys to start the countdown. He paused briefly over the last one before tapping it with his finger.

_"This had better work."_

Suddenly the deafening sound of the klaxon rang out down the length of the submarine. A computerised voice called out the self destruct warning and a countdown clock appeared on the screen. He knew the same clock was now displayed on every screen throughout the entire sub. The klaxon was giving him a headache but he refused to shut it off. If it was bothering him so much he hoped it was even more worrying to Jacobs and whoever was left of his team. He hoped they would bail out when they realised the self destruct had been set but it seemed they weren't going to quit so easily.

A voice rang out over the main speakers.

"To whoever is down there screwing around with the computers … are you _really_ prepared to die today?"

Ben looked down at the dried blood encrusted down his shirt and would have laughed at the irony under different circumstances. He pulled the shirt back to look at the makeshift bandage underneath and could see it was still seeping blood. The movement caused a stabbing pain to shoot through his stomach and it made him gasp. He instinctively clutched at his abdomen in a vain attempt to make the pain stop.

He could hear the voice speaking again but completely missed the words. Finally the pain began to ease a little and he decided he needed to talk to these people and convince them he was serious. Trying not to give anything away he composed his face as best he could and switched on the view screen on the laptop.

Ben could see Kojak holding an assault rifle. A second man stood off to one side of him. Jacobs! By his demeanour it was obvious he was furious. A look of surprise registered on his face as the image appeared on the large view screen. He scowled as he finally realised who was behind the self destruct counting down before him.

_"Krieg!"_

He leaned over to the Tucker and whispered, "Do we have time to get to him and shut this thing off?" Ben couldn't hear the conversation but he saw Kojak shake his head. Jacobs stepped closer to the view screen.

"Mr Krieg. I've been wondering where you got to. Rumours of your death were obviously exaggerated. Now … I ask you again … are you _really_ prepared to die today? If you let the self destruct go off then not only will we die but so will your friends here … and so will _you_."

Ben tried to take a deep breath before speaking. The pain was becoming unbearable and he was having trouble focussing on the screen. The voice that came out wasn't as forceful as he would have liked but it would have to do.

"My friends are all UEO officers." He paused and licked his lips. "None of them would be prepared to let you take the _seaQuest _and use it against innocent people. As for me …" he swallowed against the pain and tried to continue, "…well a couple of your goons kinda made my choice for me."

He held a bloodied hand up to the screen and pressed it against the glass. As he pulled it back the outline of blood stood in stark contrast against the background.

"I'm already dying so I have nothing to lose. At least this way it will be quick."

Katie stared at the screen in horror. So Lucas' fear was well founded, Ben _had_ been seriously injured. He looked terrible and there was a definite edge of pain to his voice as he spoke again.

"So the question is, do _you _want to die here today?" Ben glared at the blurry image on the screen. "Because if not, you have about fifteen minutes to get off this sub before I destroy it."

Jacobs leaned in so his whole face filled the screen before Ben.

"You're talking about UEO military officers. What about children?" He leaned over and pulled Lucas into view. "Are you _really _ready to kill _him_?"

Lucas had his mouth clenched firmly shut as he didn't trust his voice but he slowly nodded at Ben.

_We agreed. Remember?_

Ben got the message loud and clear and he had to fight down his own protective instincts. Without really thinking he spoke again.

"Who do you think rigged the self destruct? I'm not that smart!"

Ben turned off the viewscreen and leaned back against the wall. The strain of speaking had wiped out his energy reserves. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing as another wave of pain washed over him. He really hadn't wanted Jacobs to see just how weak he was.

As understanding dawned on Jacobs the fury in his eyes was unmistakable. He lunged over and grabbed Lucas by the throat and began to squeeze.

"Shut … it … down!"

Lucas struggled against the much larger man but he couldn't pull Jacobs' hands from his throat. Ford launched himself at Jacobs but was hauled backwards by Tucker. He swung around to grab hold of the other man and they both toppled to the floor. Tucker smashed his fist into Ford's face and he fell back, temporarily dazed.

The rest of the crew yelled at Jacobs to stop but couldn't get anywhere near him to do anything. The captain's wrist was dripping blood as he wrenched at the handcuffs but they wouldn't budge. Taking advantage of the distraction, Barnes dropped down beside Bridger and quietly began to release the handcuffs. Finally Jacobs relaxed his deadly grip and Lucas staggered backwards, his hands gingerly rubbing at his throat.

"I can't! You don't get it. I built in a failsafe and it can only be shut down from that laptop. There's nothing I can do from here. Ben and I made a pact we'd do this if it was the only way we could stop you. He won't quit until you do!"

Jacobs glared at him while absorbing that last piece of information. He slowly stepped over towards the shaking teenager and without warning backhanded Lucas in the face. The force of the blow threw him backwards into the communications console and he was out cold before he hit the floor. Katie called out to him but he didn't move from where he had fallen.

The timer on Lucas' laptop was still counting down. Ben knew the same timer was counting down on the main view screen on the bridge and he wondered at what point they would panic and quit. He began to worry that these people were so fanatical they would prefer to take down the _seaQuest _and die than give up the fight. He could hear the shouting going on up on the bridge but couldn't really take in the words.

Jacobs turned his back on Lucas and stared at the viewscreen. He looked like he was about to explode with rage and never saw it coming as Bridger slammed into him from behind.

Ben could hear a loud commotion going on up on the bridge but he couldn't tell what was happening. With less than three minutes to go he finally heard a voice he wanted to hear.

"Ben, can you hear me? Shut off the self destruct. They have surrendered. We are back in control. Ben! Shut it down!"

As the urgency in Katie's voice broke through the fog, Ben grabbed at his laptop and began to frantically type. He couldn't tell what he was doing and the timer was still counting. In desperation he pulled out the plug connecting the laptop into the internal systems. Suddenly the klaxon stopped dead and the ensuing silence seemed deafening. The countdown clock froze on the screen. Ben clutched at his side as the laptop slid off his knees and hit the floor. As the pain intensified again he struggled to stay conscious. The last thing he heard was Katie's voice over the speakers but he couldn't make out the words.

"Ben! Please, _answer me!_"

Katie stared at the viewscreen as if she could make Ben answer by sheer willpower. She looked up to see the captain had made sure the last of the hijackers were handcuffed to the railing. Crocker stood in front of them, holding one of the rifles. He looked liked he was wishing one of them would try something so he'd have an excuse to shoot.

Bridger hurried back over to Lucas where Tim was already trying to rouse him. The side of his face was already swelling and the bruising was going to be impressive. Tim gently shook him again but got no response.

Bridger held his hand up to the other side of Lucas' face. "Lucas? Come on, Kiddo, open your eyes."

He pulled back the collar on Lucas' shirt to check his pulse and gasped at the ugly bruising already forming around his neck. His face contorted in anger but he had to reign in the desire to break Jacobs' neck for what he had done. Right now he needed to stay in control. Krieg was still out there somewhere and in urgent need of help.

He looked up to see if Ben had responded but knew by Katie's face that he hadn't.

"Do any of you have any idea where he could be?"

Ford shook his head in frustration.

"The last I spoke to Lucas he said he had a secure connection set up somewhere where nobody could get to it."

"Do you suppose he meant in the service ducts?" asked Katie. "That's where he went last time."

"There are hundreds of ducts, Ben could be anywhere! We don't have time to waste searching all of them." Bridger looked anxiously at the equally worried faces before him. "He looked awful … we have to narrow this down somehow … and fast!"

Suddenly Ford remembered Lucas telling him that Darwin had gotten him back on board. He rushed over to the moonpool and called for the dolphin, hoping he wasn't too far away. Several long minutes later a silver shadow came gliding through the water.

"Darwin! Do you know where Lucas and Ben were hiding?"

Darwin looked at the people chained to the railing and seemed to hesitate before answering.

"Bad people on _seaQuest."_

Bridger followed his gaze and realised what his friend was thinking. He stood up and rubbed Darwin's head to ease his worry.

"It's OK, pal, they've been stopped. We need to find Ben, he's been hurt and we have to get to him. Do you know where he is?"

"Ben went to the batcave."

"The _batcave_?"

"Ben said it was Lucas' secret place."

Bridger frowned at him in frustration. _Secret place! Where? _He looked back over at Lucas who still hadn't stirred despite Tim still trying to wake him. The captain crouched down beside the unconscious teenager and realised he didn't have time to be gentle. He shook Lucas more urgently this time and his eyelids fluttered open briefly. A look of confusion crossed his face.

"Lucas. Where's Ben? Where did you set up the self destruct?"

Lucas groaned as he touched the side of his face. "Huh?"

"Come on, I need you to focus. Where's Ben?"

"There was blood in the moonpool. He must have gone through the aquatubes." His breathing was getting faster as his mind went back over the image. "We couldn't find him!" He tried to sit up but Bridger held a hand on his shoulder.

"I think you need to stay there for a bit."

While they were talking, Katie had been trying the PAL again.

"Ben, can you hear me? We know you've got a connection there but we can't pick it up from the bridge. You need to show us where you are … Ben? _Please_."

She looked at Ford with fear written all over her face. She had seen how both Ford and Bridger had been on the receiving end of Lucas' anger over the last few weeks and a couple of times she had almost wanted to slap him. Right now she feared Ben would never get to explain things to the teenager and sort things out between them. For that matter she had a few things to say to him as well. Ford put a comforting hand on her arm and took the PAL from her.

"Ben, we know you're hurt. We're trying to find you but you have to help us. Please … just pull a plug … or cross a wire … or something. Anything that will show up here on the sensors."

As he stared at the PAL a hoarse whisper finally came through.

"Katie."

She grabbed the PAL from Jonathan.

"Ben! Where are you?"

As they waited for an answer that didn't come a light began to flash on the communications console.

"Where is that coming from?" Bridger demanded to know. Katie ran to the console and began to type. She looked up with a relieved smile.

"He's in Engineering in a service port. Number 24B."

Bridger called out to her as he headed for the clam doors.

"Katie, turn us around, to whatever the nearest port is. Get us a medvac. Jonathan, you're with me."

Ford wasted no time in racing out the doors after him.

* * *

Ben had managed to type in the command to sever his secure line and the _seaQuest _security system registered an unauthorised connection with the bridge. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes again. The pain was unbearable and he struggled to stop from passing out again. His face was contorted in pain and his hands shook as he rubbed at his face. He picked up the PAL and tried to speak again. There was something else he needed to say while he still could.

_She was angry with him. Again! He knew he'd put his foot in it and somehow he had to make it right. That stupid comment about her biological clock._

"_I can explain that, I'm an idiot. I never see the line until I've crossed it. But I never meant to be cruel. Look, we never should have married. I mean, I wasn't in love with you. I was in love with the idea of us." _

_He could see the sadness in her eyes. The laughter seemed to have gone out of them and it was his fault. If she was going to be happy again he knew he had to let her go. So he lied._

The PAL slipped out of his hand and onto the floor.

"Katie … I'm sorry… I …"


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, sorry you didn't get another update in an hour Lynn – I don't think you would have liked what I could put together in that time. **

**I'm sorry this has taken a bit longer to post but I've had a couple of dramas here myself. I had intended it to be longer but you'd probably have to wait another week for me to get back to it so I decided you could have what I've already done. Hope that's OK.**

**Please don't send me any flying monkeys for not getting Ben all fixed up yet! **

**Chapter Fourteen**

Ortiz blinked and rubbed at his eyes. His head was throbbing but he hadn't taken his eyes off the shuttle that was still approaching the s_eaQuest._ He knew from its profile it was big enough to carry a passenger compliment of twenty two plus a pilot. He also knew that if it was allowed to dock and it did in fact carry reinforcements then there was no way the crew could stand against them. The _seaQuest _would be lost and all of this would have been for nothing.

Miguel was startled as the klaxon began to sound throughout the submarine but he still kept watch on the shuttle. Being out of communication meant he had no idea what was going on until he heard an angry voice over the speakers.

"To whoever is down there screwing around with the computers … are you _really_ prepared to die today?"

Even though he didn't know who the voice belonged to he knew it wasn't one of theirs. Someone from the _seaQuest _had managed to set off the self destruct. Or maybe it was just a simulation. Either way he hoped it would be enough. There didn't seem to be any point waiting to see if it was real or not so he continued on with his own plan of stopping the shuttle from docking.

A manual override of the outer hull doors was the only thing he could do from where he was. He wished he was on the bridge where it would have been a simple procedure to seal the docking bay doors. He tried not to think about what was happening on the bridge and began to peel away the outer casing of a control panel. As he exposed the wires underneath he began to ease them out, one by one. From where he was kneeling beside the panel he could see a countdown clock ticking over on the communications console. It seemed one way or another this was going to be over very soon.

Finally Miguel managed to seal the docking port. He stood up to check the shuttle on the screen and moments later the klaxon stopped. He looked around as if waiting for something to explode anyway but was relieved to see the countdown on the screen had frozen. The shuttle was almost alongside the _seaQuest _now.

He realised they musn't have been able to communicate with the bridge as they seemed unaware of the danger and hadn't pulled away. He tried to take advantage of that by sending a read only message from his console to the shuttle. They wouldn't be able to identify the source of the message but would hopefully take some time to verify it. He needed to buy some time to stop them from attempting to dock and discovering the malfunction in the doors.

There were still other docking ports the shuttle could come through and it would take too long to manually seal each of them. He decided his best option was to get to Engineering and close all of them from the central control. He raced out the doors and sprinted down the long corridor.

Suddenly Miguel felt the submarine turn hard to starboard and he was almost thrown off balance. The shuttle that was on approach had to alter course abruptly to avoid a collision. Its pilot put it into a steep dive and it barely missed contact. Whoever was driving had just turned the _seaQuest_ one hundred and eighty degrees with a less than optimal turning circle. Either they didn't know what they were doing or they were in a hurry. Miguel wasn't sure that either one was a good thing.

* * *

O'Neill flipped through the emergency bands trying each one again in sequence.

"This is _seaQuest _calling Pearl Harbor. Please respond." Finally Tim pulled the headset down and called over to Katie at the helm.

"Still no response, Commander. It's as if our communications array is offline but I've run the diagnostic and it's functioning normally."

Katie looked back at him with a worried frown on her face. Gradually understanding dawned.

"It's protocol. We've been cut off."

"What? Why would they do that?"

"This whole scenario was set up. Orders came down from Admiral Noyce so if the UEO thinks we've lost control they would have cut off our communications so we …"

"… so we can't send any kind of command overrides from our systems on a secure channel." Tim finished her sentence as he too finally realised what was happening. "Well we have to get through somehow. We need that medvac."

"Keep trying, Lieutenant. If we try to enter port we'll be treated as hostile and fired on. We _have _to re-establish communications." Her voice didn't sound too confident but she tried to put on a positive face as she turned back to see how Lucas was doing. He was leaning against the sonar console and even though one side of his face looked dreadful, at least he wasn't as pale as he had been.

"Lucas? Are you feeling any better?" He just nodded at her.

"Do you think you could help get us through somehow?"

He slowly stood up and moved over to the console next to Tim. They both noted he walked with a slight wobble but now wasn't the time to question it. As he sat down Lucas ran one hand across his eyes before starting to type. He never spoke as he worked but the constant frown on his face said a lot. Finally he looked up in frustration.

"Commander, we are definitely locked out," he said while shaking his head. "I could run the numbers to get us back in but it will take hours. It's medical help we need first so I have another idea."

Katie was preoccupied with the helm and trying to run the bridge with such a small contingent. If Lucas said he had another idea she didn't have time to waste questioning it.

"Whatever you need to do to get Ben a doctor, just do it!"

Lucas nodded at her and went back to typing. He barely noticed as Crocker and Barnes walked back through the clam doors. He had seen them march Jacobs, Tucker and Gianetti out some time before but his head had been throbbing too much to really think about where they had gone.

Crocker headed over to the helm while Barnes sat down at Miguel's sonar console. Lucas stifled the thought that somehow this man didn't belong on the bridge but it seemed that the commander was prepared to accept his presence. He remembered how Barnes had intervened when Ben tried to save Ford. _Ben! _He needed to focus on what he was doing and get help for Ben.

Finally the main viewscreen came to life and the image of a young man appeared. He looked as though he had been woken by the call and he rubbed at his eyes as he looked at the screen.

"Frankie? Don't you check time zones anymore?" He continued to rub his face but then he suddenly stopped. "Man! What happened to you? You better not be calling to ask me to explain away some bar brawl to that captain of yours cos I don't …"

Lucas cut him off abruptly, "I don't need you to cover anything. I need your help to get me in contact with the UEO."

Nick stared at him, suddenly wide awake. "Wadda you mean, get you in contact with the UEO? Where are you? What's going on?"

"I don't have time to explain. The _seaQuest _has been cut off from transmitting communications on UEO channels. I need you to contact the number I'm sending you and then you need to get hold of Admiral Noyce."

Nick shook his head as though he wasn't hearing his friend correctly.

"Yeah … just call up the admiral … like an old friend." He yawned as he watched a number roll across his screen. By the prefix he could tell it was in England. He looked back up to see Lucas' anxious face before him.

"Hurry! I need you to patch me through to that number and then get the admiral."

Nick dialed the number and waited while it rang. He was surprised to see Doctorr Westphalen finally answer. He had met her once before but why wasn't she on the _seaQuest_? The doctor looked just as surprised as he had but before he had a chance to say anything Lucas broke in.

"Kristin!" There was an edge of desperation in his voice mixed with relief.

"Lucas?" She couldn't see him but had heard his voice. "Nick, what's going on? What's wrong?"

Nick shrugged his shoulders at her and typed in a few commands to patch her straight through to Lucas. Her face filled the main viewscreen and she scanned the bridge, instantly noting how wrong the whole scene looked.

Katie stepped out from behind the helm controls.

"Kristin, we need your help. The _seaQuest _was attacked. We've regained control but the UEO protocols have locked us out."

Kristin felt her mouth go dry. Where was Nathan? And the rest of the bridge crew. Suddenly something else registered with her. What was Lucas doing there! She pushed that question aside and focussed on the immediate one.

"Who is injured?" she felt her breath catch in her throat at the possible answer to that. Katie looked like she was barely holding back tears. Did that mean someone was dead?

"Ben was hurt when a grenade exploded."

"What are the extent of his injuries?" Suddenly Kristin felt herself switch into doctor mode as her mind ran the possible injuries from a blast.

"We don't know yet. Captain Bridger and Commander Ford are trying to find him." Kristin felt herself relax slightly. If Nathan was off running around somewhere he had to be all right. "It's a long story but we know he collapsed somewhere in Engineering and they are heading down there now."

"How long ago was he injured?"

Katie glanced at her watch before answering. "I don't know exactly but at least three hours."

Kristin frowned at her. "Three hours," she said to herself. "Al lright, tell me everything you _do_ know."

While they were talking Lucas had been waiting on Wolfman to get him through to the admiral's office. It was proving more difficult than he had hoped.

* * *

_An angry voice broke through his thoughts. Someone was on the receiving end of a dressing down from Jacobs. Ben felt sorry for whoever it was. Jacobs' temper was like a small hurricane when it was unleashed and Ben had already seen one of the mercenaries die at his hands. It certainly helped with discipline when you knew your life was in danger if you disobeyed orders._

Miguel had made it to Engineering and was stunned to see a blood trail across the floor. It seemed impossible but had Ben somehow made it down here? Whoever had walked through here had leaned against the walls for support as bloody handprints vividly showed. The plan to close the hull doors slipped to the back of his mind as he felt renewed hope that Ben could actually still be alive.

_Suddenly the voice changed and he realised Jacobs was calling him. It was never good to have Jacobs single you out for attention._

"Krieg, are you in here?" Miguel called out.

He followed the trail until he came to an access port. The trail stopped dead so he began to ease open the hatch, fearful of what he may find on the other side.

"Ben?"

_There it was again! He could hear Jacobs' voice but he didn't seem to have the energy to answer._

A moment later Miguel climbed through the access port to find Ben lying on the floor. A laptop was lying on the floor beside him and even in the dim passage Miguel could see the blood all down the side of his shirt. He was shocked to see how pale Ben's face was. The dark beard only exaggerated how white his skin looked. A faint sheen of perspiration covered his forehead where his hair seemed to be plastered to his face.

There was no indication he was even breathing and Miguel's heart was in his mouth as he leaned over to check for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt what he was looking for. It certainly wasn't strong enough and seemed too fast but at least it was there.

Ben's PAL was lying on the floor where he had dropped it. Miguel grabbed it and hoped there would be somebody still left to answer it.

"Can anyone hear me?"

"Ortiz!" Bridger's stunned voice came back at him. "Are you all right? We thought… Ford said…"

Miguel cut him off, "I'm fine but Ben isn't. We're down in Engineering. He's in pretty bad shape."

"We're on our way there already."

"You're gonna need a stretcher. He's unconscious."

"Understood. We're nearly there."

Miguel reached down and pulled Ben's shirt back to see where all the blood was coming from. He could see a piece of towel held against his waist with a belt and it was caked in dried blood. What skin he could see looked horribly discoloured. He gently probed to try to determine the extent of the injury but he was surprised as Ben groaned and feebly tried to push his hand away. As he looked up he noted the glazed look in Ben's eyes and even though his mouth moved to speak the only thing that came out was another groan. Miguel pulled his hand back but Ben continued to push against it.

"It's OK. We're gonna get you patched up. You just have to hold on a bit longer, all right?"

Ben's hand dropped to the floor again and there was no sign that he was even aware Ortiz had spoken. Knowing there was nothing he could do to help, Miguel sat down against the wall and waited for Bridger to arrive. He picked up the PAL again and tried calling the bridge.

Lucas heard Miguel's voice and almost jumped from his chair. Hitchcock grabbed the PAL.

"Miguel? Where are you?"

"I'm in Engineering. I've found Ben." Lucas watched a look of hope and fear cross Katie's face. "Commander, he needs an immediate medvac." Miguel hesitated to give details of how bad it looked but the urgency in his voice was obvious.

"We know, we're just having trouble getting through. Lucas is working on it though." She glanced over to where Lucas was. He shook his head to indicate he was still waiting.

"I have Doctor Westphalen on a vidlink. Miguel can you fill her in on Ben's condition?"

"He's got a serious abdominal injury. Some kind of blast wound but I can't really tell. He's got a towel strapped over it but he's lost a lot of blood. He's as white as a sheet and his pulse is really weak."

Kristin nodded as she listened. "OK. Don't remove the towel. It will only start the bleeding again. Has he been conscious at all?"

"He briefly woke up when I checked his stomach but I don't think he knew it was me. I think it was just a response to the pain."

"What's his breathing like?"

"Not good. It's hard to tell he actually _is_ breathing. Hang on, the captain's here."

Katie felt her stomach twist as she tried not to think about what all this meant. Ben had always been there, even when she didn't want him to be. She had once told him she hated him for making her fall in love with him. Her mind drifted back to that conversation and then suddenly she realised Miguel was speaking again.

"…take him to medbay."

* * *

Bridger and Ford had made it to Engineering and they were both shocked to see the same blood trail that Ortiz had seen earlier.

"How did he manage to stay on his feet?" Ford wondered out loud.

Every section had an emergency medical locker and he headed over to it while Bridger kept going towards the access port. Ford pulled out a collapsible stretcher and quickly began to assemble it. He could hear Miguel's voice from inside the port and he hurried over with the stretcher.

As he climbed inside he wondered if they were too late. It didn't seem as though Ben was breathing at all. He laid the stretcher down beside him and Bridger and Ortiz tried to gently roll Ben to one side so Ford could slide the stretcher underneath him. It was difficult in the cramped space but they managed. Ben groaned as they moved him and Ford was almost relieved as at least it proved he was still alive. They dragged the stretcher to the open hatch and Ford climbed out first to take one end while Ortiz eased out the other end. As they came back out into the light Bridger noticed the dried blood on Miguel's head and watched as he swayed slightly.

"Better let me take that, Chief," he looked worriedly at Ortiz but didn't have time to do anything more. They needed to get help for Ben before anything else.

"Let Katie know we are heading for Medbay and see what's happening as far as a medvac."

Ortiz nodded and grabbed the PAL again.

"Commander, we've got Ben. We're going to take him to Medbay."


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, thanks again to everyone for reviewing. You give me the kick in the pants to finish the job. I'm not deliberately trying to drag out the torture but it just seems there's a lot to fill in when I start putting it together. And besides, I'm a hopeless romantic!**

**Once again, thankyou to Peekaboo42 for your help with the medical stuff. You even get to play doctor. I hope you do a good job! **

**Chapter Fifteen**

Katie snapped back to the present as she realised they had finally found Ben. He was on his way to medbay but she wondered what help that was going to be since the only doctor they had was currently on a vidlink. She was aware that the blonde man, _what was his name?, _had stood up and was now standing beside her.

"Commander, I may be of some use down there. I have a basic field medic rating and with the doctor's instructions I might be able to help."

Katie turned and looked at him. How ironic that Ben's best chance was in the hands of a terrorist. She nodded at him, "Go … go!"

All eyes were on him as Barnes raced out the door towards medbay. Katie turned back to Kristin.

"Lieutenant, patch Doctor Westphalen through to medbay but keep an open link here." O'Neill swiftly followed the order and it was only a matter of minutes before they heard Barnes speaking to the doctor from medbay.

Ford and Bridger had lifted the stretcher onto the bed and let the handles drop over the edge. There was no point trying to remove it as it would just cause Ben further pain to try to roll him off it. Ford looked at Barnes rather skeptically but since he had no medical training himself there was nothing he could do but hope that this man knew what he was doing.

Bridger moved the monitor as far as it would go while Ford and Ortiz maneuvered the bed around so that Kristin could see what was happening with her patient. Barnes was already checking Ben's blood pressure. The captain stood to one side and watched. He was used to being able to do something in most situations but right now he felt completely useless. And responsible. After all, he was the one who had signed off on this plan.

Ford looked over at Ortiz and realised he was looking unsteady on his feet. There was no time to even look at his head so he made sure Miguel was sitting down before he moved around beside his captain. He swallowed hard before speaking.

"Uhh Captain? I think Katie should be here … in case … just … I think I should relieve her on the bridge."

Bridger read his own fear on his XO's face and just nodded. There may not be time to get her later. He turned back to watch Barnes while Jonathan headed out to the bridge.

Kristin and Barnes had been talking and he'd missed something.

"… and he's O negative. The captain will be able to show you where the blood supplies are stored." Barnes looked at him expectantly and he just nodded.

"Do you know how to insert an IV?" Bridger looked at him hopefully because nobody else did.

"One of the things Section Seven considers part of standard training," he nodded matter-of-factly.

Bridger wondered what else would constitute "standard" for an agent but decided he really didn't care just at the moment. He handed Barnes a blood pack boldly marked with an **O **and stepped back to watch as he began to look for a vein in Ben's arm. Finally he managed to get the needle in and he hung the blood pack from a hook on the wall and turned back to the vidlink.

"OK Doc. What's next?"

"I need to get a look at the wound area but don't remove the dressing."

Barnes nodded and pulled back Ben's shirt to reveal the blood-soaked towel underneath. It didn't take a medical genius to know a person couldn't lose that much blood and not be in serious trouble. The skin across his abdomen and lower chest was discoloured and Barnes could feel the heat in it. Ben groaned even though Barnes had barely touched him. His eyelids briefly fluttered open but his eyes didn't seem to see the faces in front of him.

The look on Kristin's face frightened the captain more than the sight of Ben's injury. She was usually the voice of calm in the midst of a crisis but right now she looked anything but calm. He didn't hear Hitchcock walk in behind him but as she moved up beside him he heard her gasp.

"Ben? Oh my God!" she whispered as she stopped beside the bed. She took hold of his hand and turned back to face the vidlink as Kristin spoke again.

"I know this will hurt but I need to test his response. I want you to press your hand against his abdomen and then remove it."

Barnes hesitated to follow the direction but the doctor nodded at him. He finally placed one hand against Ben's stomach, above the bandaged area. The whole area felt tense under his hand. He only pressed lightly but he felt Ben's body stiffen and he pulled his hand away. Ben groaned loudly and his back arched as he tried to push away from the pain. Katie held her hand against Ben's face to calm him but he wasn't even aware she was there. His breathing had quickened again and sweat ran down the side of his face.

Katie reacted angrily. "What did you do that for! You're hurting him!"

Kristin ignored her for the moment and spoke to the captain instead.

"Nathan, how far out from port are you?"

"I don't know but I'll check in with the bridge."

"We couldn't get through to the admiral. Lucas was trying but it could be another hour or more before we can dock," Katie interrupted.

"What do you mean, another hour? We aren't that far out." Bridger wondered what was going on. He had directed Katie to head back to the nearest port and they shouldn't be that far away.

"We're locked out, Captain. UEO protocols have cut off our comm…"

"Communications!" he slammed his hand on the bench as he finished her sentence. "Damn! I didn't even consider that."

"Lucas and Nick were working on getting us through but they were having some trouble. We had to stop out of range. Until we re-establish communications we aren't going anywhere."

Kristin looked from one to the other and saw the same frustration on both of their faces.

"Nathan, Ben may not _have_ another hour. He's lost a lot of blood. The transfusion will help but it's only a stopgap. There's no way of knowing for sure if he's still bleeding internally but I would assume he is, judging by his reaction just now. That wound is already infected and while your friend can administer antibiotics, it's not enough. Ben needs to be in surgery, _now_, not in another hour or two."

Katie squeezed Ben's hand but got no response back. She bit her lip to stop the tears that were threatening. The captain placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder but she refused to look at him. If she made eye contact with anyone and read fear in their eyes she knew she would fall apart. Instead she wrapped her fingers around Ben's lifeless hand and held on.

_"Just hold on. That's all you have to do. You can do that. Please."_

"Nathan, I'm going to try to contact Bill myself. There's nothing I can do from here so I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

He nodded at her and closed the vidlink. Barnes was trying to hold Ben still and he looked at Katie as though trying to apologise for what he had just done.

"Do any of you know where the antibiotics are stored?"

"I'll show you," said Miguel as he headed through to the medical cabinets. He had been watching Ben's reaction from the chair where he was sitting. He needed to _do_ something, no matter how small.

* * *

The young lieutenant tried not to sound annoyed as he repeated his earlier answer. He was getting used to screening calls for the admiral and often people got their noses out of joint when they thought they were more important than they actually were. He had only been in the job for seven weeks but he had quickly learned who actually mattered and who could be fobbed off. There was something about this woman though that almost frightened him.

"I'm sorry Ma'am but Admiral Noyce is in a meeting and left specific instructions not to be disturbed. I will get him to return your call as soon as possible." He reeled out the standard answer again and hoped that she would get the message. No such luck!

Kristin spoke in a slow, deliberate manner and the young man on the screen before her turned rather pale.

"Lieutenant, how would you like to answer to manslaughter charges?" She paused to let the question sink in. "Because if you don't put me through to Admiral Noyce _right now_ an officer aboard the _seaQuest _will be dead before he comes out of his meeting and I will personally see to it that you are brought up on charges. Do I make myself_ clear?_"

He quickly decided that he could handle being chewed out by the admiral later but if what this woman said was true, he really didn't want to be held responsible.

"Ah, just a moment please, I'll try to put you through." He closed the viewscreen and opened the comm channel to the admiral's office.

"Excuse me Sir, sorry to interrupt but I have a Doctor Westphalen on the vidlink for you. She says it urgent she speak to you about the _seaQuest _and she …"

Noyce barked back, "Well put her through!"

"Yes, Sir."

As the image appeared on the screen before him he was surprised to see how strained she looked. "Kristin?"

"Bill, the _seaQuest _has been trying to contact you. They've been cut off from communications and they need an urgent medvac."

Noyce leapt up from his chair and walked over to the vidscreen.

"You've been in contact with them?"

"Yes. Lucas and his friend got through to me when they couldn't get through to you. I don't have all the details but Ben Krieg has been critically injured and needs a surgical team."

He didn't waste time waiting for any further details before calling through to his assistant. "Lieutenant, put me through to Pearl, now!"

He turned back to face the screen. His stomach churned at the thought of the next question but his mind had been going over the worst case scenarios anyway since they lost contact with the _seaQuest. _

"Is anyone else hurt?"

Kristin's face showed her frustration and fear but she slowly shook her head. "Lucas looked like he had been hit but I don't know about anyone else."

Noyce blinked as though he hadn't heard her correctly. _Lucas? _He wasn't supposed to be there! Before he could question it the lieutenant's voice cut through his thoughts as he announced the CO at Pearl Harbor was on the link. Noyce looked at Kristin and nodded his encouragement.

"Admiral. What can I do for you?"

"You can take the _seaQuest _off communication blackout and get them an emergency medical team."

* * *

Katie absently traced her finger down the side of Ben's face. She wasn't sure if it was wishful thinking or if the blood transfusion was beginning to have an effect but he didn't seem quite so pale. It was a long time since she had seen him with a beard and the memory brought a faint smile to her face. After all, she was the reason he had shaved it off. After asking her out at every opportunity and being turned down each time, he had finally told her he would do anything for her if she would just say yes to a date. She jokingly told him she didn't like beards and walked away. The next day he had turned up missing the beard. She still wasn't sure if it was his determination or just her sense of obligation that had made her say yes but she had agreed to a cup of coffee.

She was startled from her thoughts as Ben groaned again. His eyelids fluttered slightly but he didn't seem to be awake. Katie held her hand against his cheek and realised he was getting warmer. His breathing was still shallow and he groaned again. Every time his eyes rolled open Katie could see they were unfocused. She leaned over and took his face between both her hands.

"Ben … please …you have to fight this. If you quit on me now …" she paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "I'll never forgive you!"

* * *

Ford had been watching Lucas out of the corner of his eye and he was impressed at how he could focus on what he was doing in spite of the circumstances. It was sometimes easy to forget he was only sixteen. On the other hand for the last month he had shown his teenage attitude at every opportunity. It had taken all of Ford's resolve to keep his mouth shut in the face of all the remarks being leveled at him.

He had sometimes wondered what it was about Krieg that inspired such loyalty from Lucas. He realised today that he had underestimated them both. They had both been prepared to die to protect others. He shook his head as he wondered again how Ben had managed to keep going as long as he had. He was shaken from his thoughts by Tim's voice.

"Commander! I've got Pearl Harbor on the line."

Ford looked up to see a man he didn't know personally but he recognised him as the CO at Pearl Harbor. _Baker?_ _No Barker. That's his name._ Someone had gotten them back in contact. He glanced at Lucas but was surprised by the look on his face. Obviously it wasn't him who had done it.

"Sir! I don't have time for explanations but we need an immediate medvac. We have an …"

"It's all right, Commander, we know. They are already on their way."

Ford felt relieved but wasn't sure how that could be the case. He was beyond caring about protocols and didn't bother trying to hide the confusion on his face.

Ford just nodded as he heard Tim announce that a message was coming through from Admiral Noyce.

Barker continued on, "Admiral Noyce's orders. I don't know anything more myself but he can explain whatever you need to know."

"Thankyou Sir." Ford turned back to Tim. "O'Neill, put the Admiral through and Crocker, get us moving again." Crocker just nodded as he headed over to the helm. The submarine had been stationary, outside of firing range of Pearl Harbor, waiting for authorisation to come back in.

Noyce's concerned face appeared a moment later on the main viewscreen.

"Jonathan. It's good to see you. Is anyone else hurt besides Lieutenant Krieg?"

"Nothing too serious. We've got Jacobs and two of his men in the brig. The rest are dead."

Lucas had been listening to the exchange and for the first time he felt hope that help might arrive in time. He looked back at his friend on the small screen in front of him and Nick tried to smile encouragingly.

"Thanks for your help. I … uh … I need to go and … um …"

"You need to go and get yourself checked out. Give me a call back when you can, OK?"

Lucas just nodded as his friend closed the vidlink. He sat and stared at the blank screen. He didn't know what he had been running on up to this point but he suddenly felt deflated. The medvac team was on its way. There was nothing more he could do right now to help. He desperately wanted to see Ben for himself but somehow his legs felt like jelly. He didn't hear Ford come up behind him and jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Lucas, it's going to be OK." He knew that the commander was forcing the optimism but he appreciated it anyway. The alternative wasn't an option. "I need you to get down to the shuttle bay and get them to medbay. I'll let the captain know they are coming. Can you do that?"

Lucas nodded and stood up. The emotion he had been holding at bay for so long threatened to overwhelm him. He turned without speaking and hurried out the clam doors towards the shuttle bay.

* * *

Bridger had just finished taping a dressing to Miguel's forehead when Ford called through from the bridge. The look of relief on his face was obvious as he relayed the news from Admiral Noyce. Miguel stood up off the bed and cut in.

"Commander, they can't get in through the starboard port. I sealed the doors to stop the shuttle from docking before."

Ford realised that with everything else that was going on he had forgotten all about the shuttle. He mentally kicked himself for the lapse and turned back to O'Neill.

"Tim, direct them to the port side dock and let Lucas know. Then get onto the UEO and have them follow up on that shuttle. It can't have gotten too far away yet."

Katie leaned over and whispered to Ben. "Help is nearly here. Just hold on a little longer." She knew he couldn't hear her but she had to try anyway. As she laid a hand on his shoulder it seemed that Ben's shirt was soaked through. How was it he could be deteriorating so rapidly? A voice kept nagging at her that he was running out of time but she refused to listen to it. Somehow she had to get through to him that she was right there and he had a reason to hold on.

She looked up to see Barnes watching her from the other side of the bed. He had done all that he knew how to and now he was as helpless as the rest of them. He tried to smile encouragingly at her. Her anger at him for hurting Ben had subsided but she couldn't make herself smile back.

* * *

Lucas paced impatiently waiting for the doors to open. It seemed to take forever for the shuttle to arrive and he looked at his watch every few minutes. Minutes mattered. Finally he saw the first of the medical team step out and he rushed to greet them. The woman at the front of the group looked surprised to see a teenager standing before her. She noted the ugly bruising on his face but wasted no time on asking questions.

"I'm Doctor Cathy Bennett. Where's our patient?"

Lucas pointed down the corridor. "This way."

He headed down towards medbay followed closely by the doctor and her team.

* * *

Bridger stood beside Katie and tried not to think about the last time he had been in a situation like this. Carol had been consumed by fever when she died and he could see the same signs of fever now as he looked at Ben. The anguish on Katie's face was obvious and he remembered it all too clearly. The feeling of powerlessness to help. The overwhelming fear. He put his arm around her shoulder and could feel she was shaking. There were no words that were going to make any difference right now so he didn't even try. He looked down at his lieutenant and he found himself thinking about how quickly Carol had slipped away.

Suddenly he heard voices as Lucas led the medical team into the room. A small blonde woman introduced herself as Doctor Bennett and swung into action without a pause. Bridger peeled Katie's fingers away from Ben and steered her out of the way. He understood that reluctance to let go all too well. He had let go and been dragged out of the room. A short time later someone had come to tell him that Carol was gone. He shook his head to clear the thought. History was not going to repeat itself today!

Barnes decided he couldn't be of any further help so he slipped out the door and headed for the bridge. He knew how short-handed they were and decided he could probably be of better use there.

Despite the urge to ask questions, the captain kept his mouth shut and let the team do their jobs. He listened as they worked but had no idea what most of it meant. As the doctors examined Ben they could hear him moan again in pain. Katie tensed every time he cried out and Bridger watched as tears began to roll down her face. He had forgotten that Lucas was standing behind them, also watching what was happening.

As he listened to them talking Lucas felt like he was going to be sick. He slowly edged away until he found himself almost cornered at the back of the room. The choking feeling in his throat wouldn't go away and he closed his eyes to try to steady himself. He heard footsteps beside him and opened his eyes to see Miguel coming towards him.

"Lucas? I think you need to come and sit down."

He gently took Lucas by the elbow and steered him to a seat before sitting down beside him.

"They're taking Ben into theatre. He's going to be OK you know."

Lucas just stared at him. Why did everybody treat him like a kid? It was obvious Ben was anything _but_ OK.


	16. Chapter 16

**Whew! It's finally finished. This chapter seemed to go on forever but there were lots of things to wrap up. Hopefully I've covered everything and didn't miss anything important. I really debated how to end it so I hope it came out realistically.**

**Thankyou to everyone for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. Lastly to Joxer – I know you think I'm mean but at least you got to wipe Ben's fevered brow! I promise next time I really will leave Ben alone. Trust me…**

**Chapter Sixteen**

Katie stared at the floor and let her mind wander. It seemed like days ago that they had wheeled Ben out of the room and into surgery. She wondered what he would have to say if he could see them all sitting here now. Probably some wisecrack about how they were all goofing off and should be on the bridge.

Captain Bridger stood up to stretch and he walked over to where Lucas was sitting silently next to Ortiz. The bruising on his face had now come out in full strength. Bridger felt his hands clench involuntarily as he thought again about what he would like to do to Jacobs. He forced himself to relax as he knelt down in front of the teenager.

"Hey, Kiddo. How are you doing?"

Lucas just stared at him, as though he was looking right through him. He absently rubbed at a dirty smudge on his jeans. It seemed as though Lucas was struggling with how to answer that question.

_"How am I doing?_ _Well let's see – my friend is dying and it's my fault."_

Before he could open his mouth Commander Ford walked through the heavy medbay doors.

"Captain, we've docked. Jacobs and his men have been taken into custody." He glanced at the somber faces before him. "How are things going in here?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer to that question.

Bridger stood up and turned to face his XO. "We haven't heard anything yet. They've got him in surgery and they'll let us know I guess."

Ford just nodded. It was times like this that Ben would make a joke and try to relieve the tension.

"He's gonna be all right you know." Ford said to nobody in particular. "He has to be, because I owe him a black eye!" The others tried to smile but Lucas leapt to his feet.

"You owe him more than that Commander! You actually owe him your life!" Ford was taken aback by the anger in the teenager's voice but wasn't sure he was following what he was saying.

"What?"

"One of Jacobs' men tried to shoot you in the head, when you were out cold on the floor. Ben stopped him."

Ford just stared at him as he finally understood how he came to be in Lieutenant Dawson's quarters. Before he could find anything to say his PAL began to beep. O'Neill's voice came through.

"Commander, I've got another medical team from Pearl coming aboard now. They are here to assess any other injuries."

Ford continued to watch Lucas as he answered but Lucas had angrily turned away. "Understood, Lieutenant. Bring them down to medbay and you all need to come too. The security detail can hold the bridge."

"Aye, Sir, on our way."

It wasn't long before the medics arrived with the rest of the bridge crew and Barnes. Doctor Nguyen introduced himself and his team and Captain Bridger directed Lucas and Miguel be checked out first.

Bridger stood to one side and watched as Nguyen gently checked Lucas' face.

"I don't think anything is broken but we will x-ray it just to be sure. How are you feeling otherwise?"

"Fine."

Bridger looked at Lucas. He didn't look fine and he certainly didn't sound fine.

"All right, well you let someone know if you feel dizzy or have any other symptoms. All right?"

Lucas nodded obediently and slowly sat up.

"OK let's get that x-ray sorted out."

As Lucas silently followed the medic into the next room he could see Miguel getting the same treatment on the next bed. After getting his forehead cleaned up and stitched it seemed he was headed for a scan too.

A nurse was finishing up the dressing on the captain's wrist when the Medbay doors swung open. Admiral Noyce strode through the door with several staff in tow. Bridger was seated on the edge of the bed and he began to get up to greet his friend but Noyce waved him back.

"Stay there; let her finish the job." The admiral glanced around at the _seaQuest _crew around the room and noted the various bruises and bandages. He looked back at the captain.

"Kristin is on her way. She insisted I get her here as soon as possible so we got her on a military flight out of London."

Bridger nodded. He knew the emergency med team that had arrived were more than capable but he still wished that Kristin was here. If he hadn't gotten her off the _seaQuest _under false pretenses then Ben would have received treatment much sooner but there was no way he had been prepared to have her stay, knowing what was coming.

"Nathan?"

He realised Bill had said something but he'd missed it.

"I said, how is Ben?"

Bridger frowned and glanced over at Katie. She didn't seem to be listening but he carefully chose his words anyway.

"He's in surgery. Barnes managed to get some blood into him but we're still waiting for news."

Noyce knew his friend's expressions and read between the lines. He felt his stomach twist as he realised how much he _hadn't_ said.

"And how's everyone else?"

Bridger looked around at his crew. "Nothing that can't be patched up." _At least physically._

Noyce caught it as Bridger's gaze shifted to where Lucas was sitting. He leaned in closer and quietly asked, "How did he get here?"

"I don't know exactly but I intend to find out. Apparently Darwin had something to do with it."

Noyce looked back over to where Barnes was being checked out by a doctor. "I need to get him out of here and back to the base. We need to get onto whatever information he can give us as quickly as possible."

Bridger just nodded but as the admiral turned to go he caught his arm.

"Bill … we made it out of this because of him. You make sure they know that."

"Sure. I'll expect a full report … and please keep me posted on what's happening with the lieutenant."

The captain watched as Noyce and his staffers left the medbay with Barnes in tow. Barnes turned back to see the captain watching him and he nodded slightly before turning and walking through the doors. Bridger didn't want to think about the outcome had Barnes not been there.

Lucas had wandered to the back of the medbay again and was sitting by himself. Several people had tried talking to him but he just couldn't find any words to explain what he was thinking. In the end he had drifted off to sit alone. He watched as each one of them tried to find a way to deal with the waiting. He wasn't sure how long they had been in surgery but it must have been hours.

Lucas looked up as Doctor Bennett finally emerged from the operating theatre. The look on her face didn't seem very encouraging and he felt his chest start to tighten. Captain Bridger and Katie stood up but he couldn't seem to make his legs move. The doctor moved into the centre of the small group and looked around.

"Lieutenant Krieg's injury was very serious. He has been bleeding internally because that shrapnel did some major damage on the way. We've finally managed to stop the bleeding and will continue the blood transfusion."

"But?" asked Katie.

"Well, we've repaired the damage but he had a small perforation in the bowel. It doesn't have to be big to cause an infection. Peritonitis can be life threatening and the lieutenant is very weak from the blood loss. I don't know what strength he has left to be fighting an infection as well." Doctor Bennett looked around at the faces before her and decided this was one of the worst parts of being a doctor. Having to deliver bad news to anxious family and friends.

"We're treating the infection and trying to get his temperature down but we had trouble stabilising him in theatre." She decided they really didn't need all the details at this point. The truth was they almost lost him twice but nothing useful was going to come from revealing that now.

"But he's going to be all right isn't he? The _truth_!" Katie looked anxiously at the woman in front of her.

Doctor Bennett looked around at the people before her and sighed. "He's not out of danger yet. I'm sorry I can't be more positive than that but he's still on the critical list. Ideally he should be in a hospital but he's in no condition to be moved anywhere. As the blood transfusion and drugs begin to take effect we'll know more. I'm sorry but I need to get back in there."

She started to turn away when Bridger spoke up.

"Doctor, can we see him?"

"Not just yet. I'll let you know as soon as I can." She understood all too well the need for people to actually see for themselves but right now her priority was her patient.

Ford put his arm around Katie's shoulders and led her back to a seat. Nobody noticed as Lucas silently slipped out of the room.

* * *

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

Lucas looked up as the captain came through the door. He was sitting on the floor beside the moonpool. He had his knees pulled up to his chest and his chin was resting on them. He didn't speak as the captain eased himself down beside him.

The debris from the collapsed ceiling was still strewn across the floor and the dried blood on the floor and edge of the pool had turned slightly brown. The UEO security teams had already been through and removed the two bodies from the room but the cleanup hadn't begun yet. Officially it was all still under active investigation and all of this was evidence.

The silence stretched on for a while before Bridger spoke again.

"The doctor let us in for a few minutes to see Ben."

Lucas didn't acknowledge the statement but Bridger continued anyway.

"I thought you'd like to see him."

Lucas closed his eyes and tried to stop the tears that threatened. He couldn't speak past the huge lump in his throat. His mind was racing and the jumble of emotions made it impossible to get any words out. He felt Bridger's hand on his shoulder and it was enough to break the dam. He buried his face in his arms as he wrapped his hands across his shoulders. His whole body shook as he finally let go. The captain wisely chose to say nothing as Lucas sobbed beside him. He just sat with him and allowed the teenager the release he needed.

Finally he felt the tension easing out of Lucas' shoulders. Lucas gradually straightened up and turned to look at Bridger. The swelling and bruising on his face looked worse as his whole face now looked puffy but the haunted look seemed to have left his eyes.

"Sorry."

"For what?"

Lucas looked away but Bridger continued on. "You don't have to be sorry for caring about your friend."

Lucas didn't answer and the captain knew there was more to this. He figured it was a delayed reaction to all that had happened. Sitting in their current surroundings made it hard to ignore. Ford and Ortiz had filled him in on some of it but as he looked around the room he began to really understand what had happened. He let out a sigh of relief as he realised how easily there could have been more casualties today. He decided that Lucas needed to get out of this room and he turned back to look at him.

"Are you ready to go and see Ben?"

He couldn't understand why Lucas wasn't jumping at the offer.

"Hey… Kiddo … what's going on?"

He didn't think Lucas was going to answer and then finally he whispered, "It's my fault."

"What is?"

Lucas chewed his top lip for a minute before answering. "It's all my fault. My stupid program started all of this." His voice dropped to a whisper again. "Ben got hurt last time they came after it and now he could die because of a damn computer program! I should have destroyed it when I had the chance."

Bridger shook his head at what he was hearing. How was he supposed to counter that?

"Lucas, there is no way you are responsible for this."

He knew that he wasn't really listening but right now he had a more urgent concern. It felt morbid but he wanted Lucas to see Ben as soon as possible. Just in case. He knew the doctor wasn't telling them everything and he had seen for himself that Ben still wasn't out of the woods. He didn't want to think about what may happen but part of being a captain meant preparing for all possibilities. He wanted Lucas to have a chance to say whatever he needed to while he still could.

* * *

Katie was vaguely aware that someone else had come into the room but she was too distracted to turn around. The doctor had left a short time before but the nurse had been hovering around, checking readouts and writing things on a chart. She had introduced herself as Lieutenant Roni Cartwright but Katie wasn't really listening.

Captain Bridger had gone off to find Lucas and Katie found herself at a loss to know what to do next. She sat down beside the bed but quickly stood up again. In all the years she had known Ben she had never known him to be anything but on top of the world. Even when things looked bleak he always managed to find something positive about the situation. If nothing else he could always be relied upon to say something appropriately stupid to make everyone laugh. It was an attitude that had originally charmed her and eventually irritated her. She felt he couldn't take things seriously.

_But I took things seriously enough for the both of us._

She turned back to look at him and realised how much she missed him. She had spent so much energy trying to put the negative aspects of their relationship behind her that she had also pushed aside the good parts.

_So why do I only figure that out when it's too late to tell you? _

* * *

Lucas lay on his bunk and stared at the water in the aquatube. He vaguely wondered where Darwin was as he hadn't seen him for ages. The captain had walked him back to his quarters after they left medbay and Lucas had barely spoken three words the whole way back. He didn't want a comforting pep talk about how Ben was going to be all right. He'd seen for himself.

The multitude of monitors and other medical equipment was daunting enough. Lucas had heard the doctor's original assessment and he could see why she wasn't talking overly optimistically. As he walked in he could see Ben's face was flushed and he seemed to be caught up in some sort of nightmare. His expression reflected the emotions going on under the surface and he mumbled the occasional incoherent word. Katie held one of his hands but the other alternated between clenching the sheet and flailing aimlessly in the air. It seemed this was a nightmare nobody could rouse him from.

Bridger stood behind Lucas with a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Katie turned to look at him and held out a hand. Lucas finally reached out and took it before slowly stepping up beside the bed. There were so many things going through his mind but nothing seemed appropriate to say.

_"I'm sorry … it should have been me … you can't die."_

Finally when he couldn't stand it any longer he let go of Katie's hand and turned to walk out the door with the captain only a pace behind him.

Now as he lay staring at the water shadows on his wall he was surprised to hear a knock on the door. He considered ignoring it but whoever it was knocked again.

"Come in."

Captain Bridger wasn't sure what reception he was going to get. He knew Lucas didn't want to talk when they walked back to his quarters before but now he needed to speak to him whether he wanted to listen or not.

"I had a call from Nick."

_"Why would my friend be calling you?"_

"He wanted to know how you were. And he told me you gave him something to pass on to me."

Lucas frowned. He had given the file to Nick to give the captain if things went wrong and he didn't come back. He had just said to pass it on if an apology was needed and Nick had assumed what that meant. He had no idea at the time what it really meant but obviously he had since figured it out. Lucas had actually forgotten all about it otherwise he would have told Nick to delete it. He wondered if Bridger had actually watched it but as he looked over at the captain's face he knew that he had.

The captain pulled a chair over from the desk and sat down beside the bunk. Lucas pulled himself upright and tried to guess what was coming. A lecture? A reprimand? Worse?

"Lucas, you know you never cease to amaze me."

Well that wasn't exactly what he was expecting.

"I understand why you came back. I just wish you'd told me you knew what was going on."

"Would you have let me stay?

"Well, no, but at least …."

'And that's why I didn't tell you! You let Ben take on that assignment and you let me believe he was gone for good. You all lied to me for weeks and you're surprised that _I_ didn't tell _you_ the truth?" The anger in Lucas' voice was rising as he continued on. "If I had been here all along maybe I could have done something. Maybe things wouldn't have gotten so crazy."

"And maybe you'd be dead! They could have taken your research information and had no need for you." Bridger found his own anger rising as he tried to reason with the stubborn teenager in front of him. "You're a sixteen year old civilian and I had no business allowing you to stay. Ben knew what he was agreeing to when he went. He did it, among other reasons, to protect you."

"So I'm alive and he could still die!" Lucas glared at the captain.

Bridger reached out a hand but Lucas pulled away. He was visibly shaking and Bridger wasn't sure if it was anger or fear. He let his hand drop and decided to try another tack.

"I think Ben is very lucky to have you as a friend."

Lucas seemed taken aback by the sudden change in tone but he wasn't prepared to give any ground just yet.

"Not many people are prepared to risk their own life for someone else, knowing the odds are stacked against them."

Lucas seemed to develop a sudden interest in the weave of his blanket as he picked at a loose thread. Finally he looked up to see the captain watching him.

"The _seaQuest … _it's the only home I have. The only real family." His voice dropped as the last of the anger subsided. "I wasn't prepared to lose that."

Bridger tried stretching out a hand again and this time Lucas didn't pull away. "I know exactly what you mean. Neither was I." He paused and smiled slightly before continuing. "You know we must think alike because I wrote you a letter… to explain … if need be."

* * *

_Katie found her anger rising as she tried to explain to her ex-husband why he was such an insensitive idiot. He had made some wisecrack about her biological clock and it had stung more than she could explain. Even when he tried to apologise he just couldn't resist another joke._

"_You'll get whatever you want because you deserve it. Maybe someday you'll even find the right guy. Of course, he won't be as good looking as me."_**  
**

Suddenly she jolted awake and it took a moment to register where she was. Not in the gym as in her dream but in medbay. Her neck ached as she had been sleeping awkwardly but she realised it was Ben's voice that had woken her.

He was soaked in sweat again as he struggled against some invisible attacker. He cried out but wasn't making any sense. She stood up and reached out to try to calm him but it seemed nothing was getting through the fever's grip.

The nurse smiled reassuringly as she continued to monitor the readouts but Katie wasn't reassured at all. His blood pressure seemed to be relatively stable at last but she knew they were still worried. Ben's temperature wasn't rising anymore but it wasn't going down either. She didn't really know what peritonitis was but she could certainly see its effects.

* * *

Lucas glanced at his watch and realised they had been sitting there for hours. It seemed they had a lot to catch up on after over a month of not really speaking to each other. He hated to admit it but he had been miserable as their relationship had deteriorated. There were so many things he had said out of anger and now they needed to be fixed.

For Bridger's part he felt overwhelming relief that they were finally talking again. He had worried that Lucas wouldn't forgive him for lying to him. His initial response to the captain's explanation had fueled the worry but he realised he had underestimated Lucas again.

Somehow the conversation had stalled again as each was wrapped up in their own thoughts. Lucas realised his arm was going numb and he shifted his weight across to the other side. He looked up at his friend and finally asked the question he had been avoiding for hours.

"Captain … how does a scientist stop his ideas being misused? How far does personal responsibility go?"

Bridger looked at him for a long moment before answering. He knew exactly where these questions were coming from. He just didn't know if he had the answers.

"Do you suppose the physicists who first theorized about atoms could have foreseen the atomic bomb?"

"Of course not."

"So can they be held responsible for Hiroshima? Because they were a part of the process that led to that point."

Lucas just frowned.

"You know who Oppenheimer was?"

"The guy who designed the atomic bomb."

"Well he was one of a team but yes, they designed the atomic bomb. He publicly lamented the killing power of their weapon after the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During the Cold War the world came to the brink of annihilation. Is Oppenheimer personally responsible for all that?"

He looked over at Lucas to see if he was taking it in. The teenager seemed lost in thought but the captain continued on.

"Lucas, the world needs scientists. People who dream up science fiction so it can one day become science fact. Without people to push the boundaries we'd still be living in caves. Inventions and new technologies can be profoundly life changing but there will always be those who will use things to their own end, even if that hurts others. If _you_ stop dreaming and creating then the world has lost something significant. Then people like Jacobs win because they have control."

He waited for a response but wasn't surprised when he didn't get one. Suddenly his PAL began to beep and Commander Ford's voice came through.

"Captain?"

"Go ahead, Jonathan."

"You asked to be notified when Doctor Westphalen was arriving. Well her shuttle will be here in ten minutes."

"Thankyou. I'll be down there shortly."

* * *

Lucas wandered through the medbay doors and almost ran into Doctor Westphalen. She smiled when she saw what he was carrying.

"How's he doing today?"

"His temperature is almost back to normal and he was awake again for a short while. He asked to see you."

Lucas grinned at her. It had been three days since she arrived back on the _seaQuest_ and Kristin had finally given him the news he'd been waiting for. Three days of watching Ben struggle through a fever had taken its toll on him. He quietly walked around the bed and reached up to a hook on the wall.

"I don't think that's gonna fit you." Lucas almost laughed as he heard Ben's voice behind him. He turned around to see he was finally awake.

"Well that's OK because you're never going to see me in it!"

Kristin walked over beside Lucas and put on her best serious voice.

"Captain Bridger informed me he is shorthanded one lieutenant and wanted to know if you were interested in the position."

"Do I have to wear that?" Ben gestured at the uniform in Lucas' hands. "Because I was just getting used to civvies."

"Well, yes, it would be expected." Kristin continued on with a straight face. "And you would need to clean up that scruffy facial hair. UEO officers are supposed to uphold high standards."

"Well that blows it then." Ben grinned at them. "I guess I'm going back to being a salesman!" He started to laugh but suddenly grimaced in pain.

"Take it easy, Lieutenant. Slow breaths, relax," the doctor rushed over and laid a calming hand on his shoulder. "That injury is going to take some time yet to heal." Gradually the pain began to subside and eventually Ben slipped back into an uneasy sleep.

Lucas hung the uniform beside the bed and quietly headed out of the medbay.

* * *

Ben leaned back against the pillows and smiled awkwardly. Lucas had told him that Katie had barely left the medbay while he was unconscious. He had tried to speak with her but there always seemed to be someone else in the room.

"So …" the pause began to feel uncomfortable. "Where do we go from here?"

They looked at each other and each knew exactly what the other was thinking.

_We just don't work together. Love isn't always enough._

Katie cleared her throat while trying to make sense of her erratic thoughts. "To be honest … I really don't know."

Ben smiled at her. He could always make her feel calmer with that silly lopsided smile of his.

"Hows about a cup of coffee? We could start there?"

Katie smiled back at him. Somehow he had broken the tension of the moment. She slowly shook her head at him and tried to look serious.

He frowned, trying to work out what had just gone wrong. She managed to keep a straight face while continuing on. "Sorry, I told you already, I don't go out with guys with beards."

Ben grabbed the buzzer beside the bed and pressed it repeatedly. "Nurse!"

In seconds one of the nursing team ran through the door, wondering what was wrong. She was surprised to see her patient sitting up in bed, grinning like an idiot.

"I need a razor!"

**A/N I forgot to post this earlier but I really have to give credit to someone who has spent many hours typing up seaQuest scripts. I found the site to be invaluable while writing this story as I could go directly to chunks of dialogue without having to stop/start the dvd. FFNet doesn't allow websites to post on here so this is the best I can do. **

**www dot questiezil dot tripod dot com slash scripts**


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